ILOILO City – The coal-fired power plant in Barangay Nipa, Concepcion, Iloilo has ordered its Chinese workers currently vacationing in China not to return to the Philippines yet to prevent the possible spread of the new coronavirus here.
According to Palm Concepcion Power Corp.’s (PCPC) Maricris De Guzman Cabalhin, vice president for corporate affairs, such order will be in effect “until the threat of the virus is controlled, if not eliminated.”
There are an estimated 160 Chinese nationals working at the coal-fired power plant, said Mayor Raul Banias of Concepcion.
They are employed by the NEPC Power Construction Corp. which PCPC tapped to operate and manage the coal-fired power plant.
The Chinese nationals currently in the power plant, on the other hand, were being discouraged from traveling outside the facility, said Cabalhin.
Banias, a doctor, welcomed PCPC’s move. On Jan. 28 he wrote NEPC Philippines president Jiang Zhimin: “In the light of the global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization caused by the novel coronavirus which was traced to originate from China, I am requesting you company to immediately stop deploying officers and staff from China to Palm Concepcion Power Corp.”
“We are in full support of the Department of Health and the province of Iloilo’s campaign to prevent the spread of the 2019-nCov, hence, protocols are strictly enforced and updated, as necessary, to ensure that the power plant facility is nCov-free, and most importantly to protect the health and safety of all our employees, and the residents in our host community,” according to Cabalhin.
Yesterday, upon the recommendation of key government officials, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the temporary travel ban of visitors from mainland China as well as its special administrative regions in a move to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
With this move, Duterte expanded his initial travel ban order – which only covered Hubei province and other parts of China that have confirmed reported cases of the virus.
In a statement issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, any person, regardless of nationality, directly coming from China and its special administrative regions – namely Hong Kong and Macau – are banned from the entering the country.
Any person, regardless of nationality, who within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines has been to China and its special administrative regions, are also covered by the ban./PN
