‘No quarantine, no return trip’

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said he will stop all flights transporting locally stranded individuals (LSIs) if they refuse to undergo quarantine protocols set by the city government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Treñas issued the stern warning on Monday as he expressed dismay over LSIs who arrived in the city and refused to undergo quarantine protocols.

“Ga-worry lang kita sa ining mga locally stranded individuals. We are stopping all the flights of LSIs until they agree to follow all the protocols. I hope they understand that we are just protecting the city,” he said in a press conference on Monday.

“If they don’t want to follow our protocols, hulat sila three to four months asta matapos ta ining problema. Kon ma-agree sila and mafollow protocols, we will gladly receive them,” he added.

According to Donna Magno head of the City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (CDRMMO), while they require LSIs to coordinate with the Iloilo City COVID-19 Operations Center and other corresponding agencies before their arrival, some failed to do so and refused to undergo quarantine protocols set by the city.

“Those nga nakaagi sa aton gina-explainan sang aton mga staff that they have to follow protocols upon their arrival in Iloilo City but there are those nga kon indi sila magpabalo or ma-coordinate indi naton sila maexplikaran and indi matrack. For one, we have this protocol nga kon maabot sila sa city didto sila maderetso sa Jubilee Hall para makuhaan swabs,” she told Daily Guardian on Monday.

All LSIs who coordinated with the Iloilo City COVID-19 Operations Center will be required to sign a letter of undertaking once they arrive in Iloilo City indicating that they will follow the protocols set by the city government.

Among the protocols is that LSIs will be subjected to rapid antibody test and real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, according to Magno.

“Regardless if may negative na sila nga RT-PCR test, pag-abot di nila ginapaswab liwat sila kay may possibility nga two weeks later gin-release iya specimen from the point of origin so damo na siya na-encounter,” she explained.

On May 12, the mayor issued Memorandum No. 145 setting the guidelines for all returning residents of Iloilo.

For those coming from areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), they are required to secure negative RT-PCR results; barangay certificate of residency duly verified by Iloilo City COVID-19 Operations Center; a certificate issued by the local government unit (LGU) Health Unit of the place of origin that the returnee has completed the 14-day quarantine and does not exhibit signs and symptoms of COVID-19; and a certificate issued by the mayor allowing the returnee to enter Iloilo City.

Returnees will be required to sign a letter of undertaking that they shall undergo RT-PCR test upon arrival at Iloilo City and shall be subjected to quarantine at a designated quarantine facility;

Returnees from GCQ areas classified by the national pandemic task force will be required to secure all the above-mentioned requirements except for a negative RT-PCR test results.

All concerned returnees are also encouraged to coordinate with the Iloilo City COVID-19 Operations Center through their LGU of origin, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Maritime National Authority (MARINA), Regional IATF and other tasked government agencies.

Now that the city has shifted to a more permissive Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), Magno said they are still waiting for the new guidelines of the mayor on returning city residents.

“Actually, subong gahulat naman kami guidelines kay si mayor macreate sang ad hoc committee on returning residents so given MGCQ so basi may mga bag-o na requirements,” she said.

Meantime, Magno appealed to all returning residents to coordinate with the concerned LGUs for their own protection and as well as for the protection of their family and respective barangays.

“Ang appeal lang naton sa public is that kon magpululi pabalo gid sa LGUs concerned para mabal-an ang gasululod kon diin sila naghalin. Para ini proteksyon man sang aton returning residents pamilya nila and bilog na barangay,” she noted.