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| Non-OFWs will have to pay P3.5k for the swab test, and for quarantining in a hotel while waiting for the result |
Filipinos returning from overseas, many of them stranded by
lockdowns, have raised concern about a new government regulation requiring them
to undergo, and pay for, mandatory swab tests and quarantine accommodation when
they return to the Philippines.
The new requirement was issued on May 11 by the Inter-Agency
Task Force (IATF) on Covid-19 but has circulated widely recently because of
concerns from returning nationals about the potentially huge costs involved.
Apart from paying for the swab test which reportedly costs
Php3,500, they will also have to pay for staying in a hotel designated as a quarantine
facility.
A list of hotels for this purpose has been uploaded on the
Department of Tourism website, but it will also be provided to them on their arrival
at the airport.
The advisory says the test result should be out in 3-5 days.
If the test turns out negative, they will be given a certificate to this effect
and allowed to go home. But if they test positive, the Bureau of Quarantine
will take over the monitoring of their treatment.
The advisory, posted on the Facebook page of the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport (NAIA)- MIAA, said the same procedure should be
followed by arriving airline crew members.
Given the recent experience of some overseas Filipino
workers who have been forced to remain in their quarantine facility for more
than a month because of the delay in the release of their test result, many
returning residents are worried about the potential cost.
Some of those who posted on the NAIA Facebook page said this
would be an additional burden on Filipinos who already had to go through a lot
after being stranded in a foreign country because of the pandemic.
One asked if senior citizens could just be allowed to
observe self-quarantine at home while waiting for their swab test, instead of
being held indefinitely in a hotel room or some other quarantine facility.
Another said she was coming home with three minor kids and a
senior citizen, and also asked to be exempted from being made to stay in hotel.
Still another revealed a sad truth: that it’s not true that
the test result is released within 3-5 days. She said her minor son who has
health problems, had been in quarantine for 7 days after returning from his studies abroad. But there was still no word
on when he would get his test result.
Administrators of the airport site assured them their
concerns would be relayed to the proper authorities.
In comparison, Hong Kong
also requires a swab test and self-quarantine for returning residents, but no one
is asked to pay for anything, including for hospitalization in case they are
found infected.
Those who are put in quarantine facilities are also provided
with all that they need at no cost.
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| OFWs get tested for free, but they are put in a designated quarantine facility while waiting for the result |
In the Philippines
Their tests are paid for by PhilHealth, and their meals and
accommodation by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration for land-based
OFWs, and by the Maritime Industry Authorities for those who are sea-based.
Despite this, hundreds have complained about their extended
stay in quarantine facilities tightly
guarded by Philippine Coast Guard officers, saying they have been isolated long enough, and should be allowed to go home.
At least eight have escaped recently from a hotel in Pasay City
One was eventually found to have the coronavirus, and was
tracked down to his home in Quezon
City
The Coast Guard said all the escapees would be charged with
violating quarantine laws.
As of May 19, the Department of Transport said a total of
461 OFWs are in various quarantine facilities in Metro Manila, including 265
who are in two passenger vessels docked off Pier 15 in Manila
Since Apr 14, 294 OFWs have completed their quarantine and
were allowed to go home, while 93 others are now waiting to be taken home to
their home provinces or cities.
An additional 199 are currently awaiting their swab test
result.
