Rehab facility to house Guimaras repatriates

Three seafarers returned home to Guimaras after completing the mandatory quarantine period and COVID-19 tests.

The provincial government facilitated the transport of the three Guimarasnon repatriates from Iloilo City on May 13, 2020.

The repatriates are negative for COVID-19 based on their RT-PCR test conducted upon their arrival in the City of Iloilo last April 29, 2020.

The three seafarers were brought to the Halfway House and Livelihood Training Center (HHLTC) at Barangay Lanipe in Nueva Valencia where they will be quarantined for 14 days.

The three-storey facility will house Guimarasnon repatriates who were sent home under the Balik Probinsiya Program of the national government.

The HHLTC was constructed to serve as temporary shelter for the clients of the Parole and Probation Administration (PPA) who have no home or immediate family to return after termination of their probation and parole period but was not utilized yet by the agency.

Governor Samuel T. Gumarin said that the PPA did not hesitate to allow the province to use the facility for repatriated residents of the island.

“Indi naton mahimo isimpon gilayon sa ila pamilya kag komunidad ang mga nagapauli naton nga mga kasimanwa tubtob nga indi kita makasigurado nga hilway sila sa COVID-19. Ini proteksyon man sa ila pamilya, proteksyon sa aton probinsiya nga indi makasulod ang virus,” Gumarin said.

The governor issued Executive Order No. 45 adopting the guidelines in the entry of repatriated and returning residents where they will be subjected to mandatory quarantine protocol.

The provincial government will provide the needs of the repatriates while they are quarantined.

Guimaras has yet to record a COVID-19 case, the only province in Western Visayas that remains free from the virus as to date.

Two of the 15 repatriated residents of the province that tested positive of COVID-19 remain at a hospital in Iloilo and shall only be allowed entry in Guimaras when they are free of COVID-19 infection.