ILOILO – In the municipality of Alimodian, the 14-day quarantine requirement for repatriated overseas Filipinos (ROFs) is still mandatory. Local authorities don’t want to lose ground in their months-long fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“Ang stand namon is status quo. Sundon gid namon kon ano ang requirements sa ROFs subong kag amo ina ang amon i-padayun,” stressed Mayor Gefree “Kalay” Alonsabe.
Earlier, the national government’s task force against COVID-19 issued a directive stating ROFs in good health and with negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results need not stay at the quarantine facilities of their local government units (LGUs) for two weeks.
But this latest order could further spread the illness, according to Alonsabe.
“Sa mga previous months ginhimurat-an naton nga ma-contain ang virus, ti subong pabay-an lang naton?” the mayor asked.
He doesn’t want his town’s effort to go in vain.
Together with Vice Mayor Keneth Alfeche, chief of Incident Command System-Alimodian COVID Command Center, Alonsabe decided to still enforce existing protocols for ROFs.
The LGU, according to mayor, would still be fetching arriving ROFs at the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo and take them to the town’s quarantine facility for swabbing and 14-day quarantine.
Should ROFs turn out negative for COVID-19, they will be allowed to complete another 14-day isolation in their respective barangay quarantine facility before they could head home.
Those found infected, on the other hand, will be subjected to a repeat test.
But Alonsabe said he is willing to cooperate with the provincial government and League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) – Iloilo chapter should they issue harmonized guidelines.
“We are willing to issue sang executive order kon may new guidelines nga ipanaog si Gov. (Arthur Defensor Jr.) nga amo ang sundon namon nga mga mayors pero for the meantime status quo ang requirements para sa ROFs,” he added.
On Aug. 19 the national task force against COVID-19 headed by Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana issued the “Operational Guidelines on the Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos.” The salient features are the following:
* All receiving LGUs shall not deny the entry of ROFs with complete requirements, provided that prior coordination was made through the National Task Force and/or the Regional Task Forces (RTFs), and other concerned agencies as deemed necessary.
* All ROFs in good health with test documents showing negative RT-PCR result for COVID-19 shall not be subjected to another 14-day quarantine by the receiving LGUs.
The guidelines also listed things/moves that LGUs must do upon the ROFs’ arrival. These are the following:
* The concerned RTF/LGUs shall facilitate the transportation of arriving ROFs to their respective home provinces.
* Upon arrival of ROFs to their final destination, the Local COVID Task Force shall receive the ROFs and assist in their transportation to their respective homes.
* The ROFs shall no longer be subjected to Local Health Protocols by receiving LGUs.
* The ROFs shall notify their respective LGUs if they manifest signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
As of Sept. 1, Alimodian has 32 total confirmed COVID-19 cases, 30 of which recovered and two were active./PN
