By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Repatriated Ilonggo Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who will test negative for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can return to their families after Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on May 6, 2020 announced a change in the protocols of the Western Visayas Regional Task Force on COVID-19 (WVRTF).
The WVRTF’s earlier rule was that OFWs will remain under 14-day quarantine despite yielding negative results using the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test.
The task force met Wednesday morning to discuss the next set of repatriations and the protocols they will use.
The latest batch of OFWs who arrived on April 29 included five who tested positive during the rapid antibody testing.
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the findings through RT-PCR testing. The five OFWs include one from Guimaras and four from Iloilo City.
In a press conference, Treñas said OFWs who will pass the RT-PCR testing can skip the quarantine and return home.
“We will require them to take a 14-day quarantine (upon arriving). However, we will then get specimens from them for RT-PCR testing and whoever shows [negative] results, we will send them home. Even if their 14-day quarantine is not yet finished, we will still send them home,” he said.
Treñas said the protocol changes were due to the fact that not all OFWs were tested at the same time while in their port of origin.
“They weren’t given the RT-PCR tests at the same time. Aside from that, they will board the ship and we don’t know if the crew will become compromised, so that is why we have to make sure that when they get here to their families, they are safe,” he said.
WVRTF spokesperson Atty. Roy Villa said that there is no confirmed date on the next batch of OFW repatriations.
RESPONSE
Treñas responded to the remarks made by President Rodrigo Duterte during a press briefing Monday evening.
President Duterte mentioned Iloilo City in discussing OFW repatriations. While he did not directly mention Treñas, Duterte asked them to follow the guidelines of the national task force.
“I heard and I’m sure that in the City of Iloilo, you don’t accept OFWs. Sir, mayor, I am pleading with you to follow the guidelines. I will operate through the Department of Interior and Local Government. It’s either you will follow or I will impose on you,” Duterte said.
Treñas responded Tuesday in a phone interview with Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, saying that all he asked was proper coordination from national government agencies, especially the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA).
“There was never a time that we refused OFWs. We only want coordination. Our agreement is for them to undergo PCR test. We also want coordination in their accommodations. This is primarily the work of (OWWA) and other concerned agencies. We already agreed on this and we have communications with Defense Secretary Lorenzana. Now that we are ready with more returning OFWs, the President seems to be getting different information. All we want is coordination because our OFWs are neglected – they don’t have food and water and they are being neglected. If there is coordination, the concerned agency and the local government can prepare our resources,” he said.
Treñas said he was in constant coordination with the National Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NIATFMEID).
“You know, I was surprised because I was always in touch with the [NIATFMEID members], especially their chairman, [Department of National Defense] Secretary [Delfin] Lorenzana. As a matter of fact, he had text messages for me before [President Duterte] called me out. I was surprised, but he told me that they will understand that,” he said.
He also read the text messages sent to him by Lorenzana.
He said that Lorenzana reiterated the NIATFMEID’s responsibility in handling the OFW repatriations and that they had informed President Duterte of the actions taken by the city government.
“I texted him on Friday after we had conducted [RT-PCR] testing on Wednesday. He said, ‘Yes, kuyang Mayor. We completely understand your position in your reluctance to admit them in the light of some OFWs who returned home and later proved positive endangering the whole community. This is unacceptable. Henceforth, before we release these returning Filipinos to their homes we will make sure they have been tested, quarantined, and retested and free of the virus.’ Yesterday, he texted me because I told him that I was surprised. He said, ‘No worries, kuyang [mayor]. We explained that to him last night. That is our responsibility here to ensure that all those we sent home are [COVID-19-free]. We told him about the five positive [cases] amongst the 80 we sent earlier. He understands. His statement is directed generally [at someone] who refused to accept in their local government. All is well kuyang, we will ensure every one we send home are [COVID-19-free].’”
He said that he will cooperate with the national government with whatever they will need.
“I don’t know if I will need to write a letter, but if needed I will write. As far as I am concerned, everything is clear with [the NIATMEID] in Manila,” he said.
Treñas assured residents that the city government is closely coordinating with the national government in all of its actions.
“To the people who were worried because the President called us out, I want to assure you that all of our actions are being coordinated with the [NIATFMEID]. If there are things that reached them that weren’t good and puts our city down, hopefully, there are people there who know what we have been doing here. We never stop. There was never an occasion that we stopped the entry of OFWs. We complained that they didn’t coordinate with us but we never stopped the trips they sent here, either from Cebu or from Manila,” he said.
He added that he wants to be strict about the passenger manifest of the vessels that transport the OFWs.
An OFW from La Paz district who came home from the United Kingdom and was not originally included in the manifest tested positive for COVID-19 in early April 2020.
“Another thing we want to be strict about is the manifest. Whoever is already in the manifest, there should be no additions because that is where the problem starts. We don’t know why they were added,” the mayor said.
DOH data has indicated that as of May 6, Iloilo City has 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with ten active cases, four recoveries, and one death.
