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| Filipino travelers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (DWC photo) |
Notarized or not? Medical certificate or barangay clearance? Self-quarantine or total isolation?
These are among the questions that have been fueling
debates on online chats among stranded Filipinos preparing to
return to their Hong Kong homes and jobsites after the partial lifting of the travel ban
from the Philippines
Despite reports from those who have successfully made it
back to Hong Kong that the declaration or waiver form can be secured at the airport at no cost, and with no need of being
notarized, talks persist otherwise.
Several frazzled OFWs have even posted pictures of their
notarized forms, insisting that one needs to get this done before proceeding to
the airport.
They based their information from staff at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration which has been
tasked to distribute the form.
An OFW from Davao who was frantically trying to book a flight back to Hong Kong
said she had called the POEA office in her area and was told that she needed to
pick up the form from their office.
“Need po kumuha ng declaration at ipapa notaryo po. Then
ipapadala nila sa Manila
“May dalawa akong kasama nakapagpa notaryo na kanina.”
She would not listen even when told that she didn’t have to
go through the trouble as many of those who had flown out had reported.
Another OFW named
Daphne said that even after seeing on a TV news report that the form could be
filled right at the airport, she was still confused as to what was right.
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| Sample of a notarized declaration shared by a confused OFW |
“Kasi may form yung friend ko. Sabi nya ipapa xerox, then
ipapapirma sa attorney. Kaya nalilito na ako kung ano ba talaga ang dapat
gawin, kasi sa Monday na flight (ko). Kailangang maihabol ma process bukas.
A cursory check of posts made by several OFWs who have
already flown back to Hong Kong show, however, that nobody had any trouble picking up the form at the POEA counter at the airport, and signing it right there.
But the trouble may have been due largely to the form being
set out to look like a notarial declaration, with spaces for a notary to fill
and sign. Add to this the lack of guidance or information for the OFWs from the
websites of POEA or even the Department of Labour and Employment.
Asked to explain the confusing signals, Administrator Hans Cacdac of the Overseas Employment Administration said in a short message: "The DOJ (Department of Justice) and POEA say it should be notarized, Ma'am. This goes jnto the substance of the document."
He did not reply when asked why no advisory has been issued to this effect, and why many OFWs have been allowed to fly even without having the declaration form notarized.
Asked to explain the confusing signals, Administrator Hans Cacdac of the Overseas Employment Administration said in a short message: "The DOJ (Department of Justice) and POEA say it should be notarized, Ma'am. This goes jnto the substance of the document."
He did not reply when asked why no advisory has been issued to this effect, and why many OFWs have been allowed to fly even without having the declaration form notarized.
The inbound travel restrictions which remain in place have also caused confusion to many, particularly because of the 14-day self-quarantine period required of Filipinos arriving from Hong Kong, Macau and China.
Many OFWs are particularly concerned about the 14-day
requirement as only a few are being allowed home leaves for that length of
time. They also worry about whether they could get out of the house, or even go near their family members.
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| The quarantine form to be signed by every Filipino arriving in the Philippines from HK |
Many inquiries online were from OFW parents anxious to
attend their children’s upcoming graduations but have permission to stay in the
Philippines
Many were disappointed on being told that they need to stay
in the country for the entire 14-day quarantine as they will not be allowed to
depart back to Hong Kong otherwise.
Others were worried that they would not be allowed to go onstage to be with their graduating child because they're supposed to be on self-quarantine.
Another question was the offshoot of several unfounded
claims: that Filipinos who entered the Philippines
from Feb 2 onwards should get either a medical or a barangay clearance being
allowed to board their flights back to Hong Kong or Macau .
The reason cited was that the clearance was needed to prove
that the passenger was free of any symptoms after undergoing self-quarantine
for 14 days. This was not among the instructions given them when they flew into
the country, but many were still bothered by the persistent talks that they
needed to do this.
Again, the only way this was disproved was through a
first-person account by an airline crew. Her colleague recounted: “We have a
crew who went to the barangay but even the staff there don’t know what to give
them. LOL. In the end, she went to the airport na lang and managed to get on
the flight. From passport entry stamp it was obvious naman na more than 14days
na sya.”
After being stressed out for 16 days because of the travel
ban, it is time for the
affected Filipinos to get a break.
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