‘STUPIDITY AT ITS FINEST’: Vice guv slams counting of repatriated OFW in Guimaras’ COVID-19 tally

By Jennifer P. Rendon and Emme Rose Santiagudo

Vice Governor John Edward Gando of Guimaras decried the inclusion of a repatriated overseas Filipino (OFW) in the province’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) count.

The Department of Health has since revised its tally by making a separate database for infected repatriates.

The confirmed case dubbed as WV patient #72 “is a 27-year-old male, and a resident of Buenavista, Guimaras,” according to the Department of Health Western Visayas-Center for Health Development DOH-CHD) Health Bulletin No. 37 issued 1 p.m. of May 2, 2020.

The bulletin said the OFW “works as an Overseas Filipino Worker and was repatriated back to Iloilo City last April 29, 2020 via the 2Go Malasakit Voyage. He turned out to be a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 following the RT-PCR testing done last April 29, 2020. Currently, he is in facility quarantine in Iloilo.”

WV No. 72 is one of the 175 repatriated OFWs from Panay Island who arrived in Iloilo City on April 29.

37 other OFWs were from Aklan; 18 from Antique; 12 from Capiz; 5 from Guimaras; 68 from Iloilo Province; and 35 from Iloilo City.

But the DOH report did not sit well with Gando.

Labeling him as Guimaras’ first case “is stupidity at its finest,” Gando said in a Facebook post.

“Very clearly, it is established that WV patient #72, an OFW who was repatriated back to Iloilo City courtesy of OWWA, was infected somewhere else and not in the province of Guimaras. It is also established that the patient has not set foot on the soil of the province from the time he was repatriated back to Iloilo City, again, courtesy of OWWA.”

OWWA is the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Gando added that “in spite of such uncontroverted fact, DOH appears to be hellbent in sticking to their position that WV Patient #72 is the first of case of Guimaras and conveniently records it under the province of Guimaras, thus breaking the image of the province as the only COVID-free province in Region 6.”

“I hope DOH will also find the diligence and the burning desire in finding out how many Guimarasnon there are in Metro Manila, Mindanao and other regions in the country; in Europe, America and other continents in the world, who may have been tested positive for COVID so we may include it in the score of Guimaras in DOH WV’s magical tally sheet.”

Gando cited the practice in Central Visayas where it has a different column for repatriated OFWs who tested positive for COVID-19.

 

RESOLUTION 

Gando said he will meet with members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan today, May 4, to pass a resolution urging the DOH to lay down the basis why the agency counted a repatriated OFW as a COVID-19 case of Guimaras.

“We would ask why they came up with such decision nga ang isa ka repatriated OFW, nag-abot sa Iloilo City, was quarantined and tested positive is counted for under the province of Guimaras,” he said.

Gando said the move has an impact on the province as they have cherished every day that they have zero cases since the pandemic broke out.

“With this declaration that we have a positive case, are we now bound to conduct contract tracing?” he said, citing a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) order for the conduct of contact tracing once a positive case is recorded in an area.

“Is Guimaras still COVID-free with this development kay gin-kuritan nyo na ang amon scoreboard,” Gando said.

Meanwhile, the Guimaras vice governor said they have been providing for the needs of OFWs since Day 1.

But in the case of five OFWs from Guimaras, “they were immediately quarantined upon arrival.”

Gando said they do not want to overlap with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which has primary responsibility for the situation.

“We waited for notification courtesy of OWWA. We’re thinking that they would take care of our OFWs,” he said.

But upon monitoring, Gando said they decided to send support, through Guimaras Rep. Lucille Nava.

He also vowed to support OFWs from the province citing that their protocols have been in place for such a situation.

The OFWs can go home after the quarantine period and if they test negative for COVID-19 using the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test.

“We will check on the protocol requirements. If they could provide a medical certificate that they are negative for PCR, we would welcome them and they must still undergo home quarantine should they be tested negative,” he said.

Gando said they have no problem taking in OFWs as long as protocols are observed.

However, “did OWWA observe the protocol?” he asked.

How prepared are they when they repatriated these OFWs? What’s their commitment?”

 

REPORTING METHOD

On Sunday, the DOH database removed the infected OFW from Guimaras’s tally and made a separate table for repatriates.

According to Dr. May Ann Soliva-Sta. Lucia, cluster head of Health Promotion of DOH-CHD 6, the listing and reporting of the COVID-19 cases in the region is based on the residential address of the patient.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the health department said the patient from Guimaras is among the five repatriates who tested positive for Covid-19 in the region.

“DOH-CHD 6 would like to clarify that the first case of Guimaras works as an OFW and was repatriated back to Iloilo City last April 29 via the 2Go Malasakit Voyage. He turned out to be a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 following the RT polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing done on April 29,” DOH-CHD 6 said.

DOH-CHD 6 added that the patient will be reintegrated to his community and family in Buenavista, Guimaras once the RT-PCR results turn out negative.