File Photo | Courtesy of MCIAA
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Malacañang on Tuesday, June 18, issued an order for all international flights bound for the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) to be diverted once again to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, during Tuesday’s Laging Handa press briefing, said the diversion of MCIA flights NAIA is valid until 11:59 p.m. on June 12, to ensure that policies of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease ) will be “fully and seamlessly implemented.”
The announcement came just two days after MCIA reaccepted inbound international flights last June 6. To recall, Malacañang first ordered the diversion of international flights arriving here to NAIA from May 29 to June 5.
Roque said the IATF is expecting Cebu to comply with the task force’s whole-of-nation approach in swabbing incoming Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) by June 13.
“So inaasahan po natin on the 13th of June, the protocols on arriving OFWs and ROFs will be implemented in Cebu,” added Roque.
Cebu province has its own Swab-Upon-Arrival policy, which deviated those from the IATF.
It was first introduced in March after Governor Gwendolyn Garcia signed Executive Order (EO) No. 17. The policy was supported by the Provincial Board with the approval of Provincial Ordinance No. 2021 – 04 in May.
Governor Garcia stood firm in her decision to keep the province’s swab-upon-arrival rule by invoking Section 105 of the Local Government Code.
The code allows “a limited control for the National Government and supervision and control by the Secretary of Health ‘in cases of epidemics, pestilence, and other widespread public health dangers, the Secretary of Health, may, upon the direction of the President and in consultation with the local government unit concerned, temporarily assume direct supervision and control over health operations in any local government unit for the duration of the emergency, but in no case exceeding a cumulative period of six (6) months.” / dcb