The Malacañang announced on Monday (May 11) that returning Filipinos who are not overseas workers will have to shoulder their expenses in government quarantine facilities.
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According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the cost for coronavirus testing, meanwhile, will be shouldered by PhilHealth.
Returning Non-OFWs to Shoulder Quarantine Accommodation Costs – Palace
Roque explained that only returning OFWs will be exempted from paying quarantine accommodation costs, as they will be covered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA), as shared in a report by The Inquirer.
The Presidential spokesperson, however, did not go into detail about the cost of being placed under quarantine in the government facilities.
He did clarify though that all overseas Filipinos will be properly oriented with the quarantine process and assured the public that all documents will undergo centralized processing.
Roque also said that this was among the guidelines for testing all arriving overseas Filipinos and foreign nationals.
All arriving Filipinos and foreign nationals will undergo testing for coronavirus and will be placed under quarantine in government facilities while waiting for results.
All those who will undergo quarantine will stay at the facility for around two to five days as they await the results of their RT-PCR tests.
Roque explained that if the result is positive, they will go straight to hospitals or to a We Heal as One Center.
On the other hand, if the test turns out negative, Roque said they may return home while assisted by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) or local government units.
Concerning this, last Saturday (May 9) the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said in a notice to airmen (NOTAM) that NAIA would resume operations for inbound flights.
This comes a week after the Authority has suspended all international flights, which started on May 3, Sunday, to prevent the spread of the virus in the Philippines.
As per Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval, only the following will be allowed to enter the Philippines:
- Filipinos
- Filipinos’ foreign spouse and children
- Accredited foreign government officials
- International organization officials
- Foreign airline crew
In addition to this, Sandoval also explained that only foreign nationals, permanent residents, and student visa holders abroad and overseas Filipino workers would be allowed to exit the Philippines.
The NOTAM said international commercial flights may land at NAIA on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
In line with this, airlines also should secure approval from CAAP at least 48 hours before their scheduled departure from their airport of origin.
This will allow NAIA to give slots and reschedule flights to maintain the 400 passengers per day capacity limit as a precaution against the spread of the virus in the country.
What do you think about the guidelines enforced by the Palace?
Will this effectively help curb the spread of the virus in the country and ease the burden on certain sectors such as transportation and tourism? Let us know in the comment section below.
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