Borgonia to request IATF to allocate budget for ROFs quarantine expenses
The Cebu Provincial Board passed an ordinance adopting the executive orders of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia which set policies and measures against COVID-19 in this March 2020 photo. | file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines —A Provincial Board Member plans to submit a resolution on the next regular session on July 5 requesting the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID or IATF) to immediately allocate a budget for the payment of the hotel quarantine facility of returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).
PB Member John Ismael “Jimbo” Borgonia of the 3rd district of Cebu said that he would file the resolution if there would be no action from IATF following the complaints of the ROFs that they were still paying their own expenses while under quarantine.
Borgonia’s planned move is based on the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte on June 21 that he would want to utilize the unused funds under the Bayanihan Laws to pay for the ROFs’ expenses to ease their inconvenience of being quarantined.
Duterte made the announcement after the IATF and Cebu officials had different views on the swab-upon-arrival policy for ROFs and OFWs in Cebu Province.
“I will pass a resolution requesting the IATF to immediately allocate a budget in line of the pronouncement of the President for the payment of the hotel quarantine facility of the returning filipinos,” said Borgonia.
The PB member was the one who authored the Provincial ordinance which strengthened Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s Executive Order No. 17, mandating the testing of ROFs and OFWs upon arrival.
Alfred Reyes, Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) president, for his part, said they had not yet received any memo from the national government to use the funds under the Bayanihan Laws nor had the local government units (LGUs) issued a memorandum to shoulder the cost, which was why ROFs had to pay for their own expenses while under quarantine.
Under the IATF protocols, all arriving passengers from abroad are required to undergo a 10-day quarantine at an accredited hotel facility upon arrival and will be tested on the seventh day.
When the result of the test is negative, they can proceed to their point of destination where they will be quarantined at home or at the LGU facility for four more days.
Whereas, the Cebu Province, under the Provincial Ordinance No. 2021-04, ROFs and OFWs will be swabbed upon arrival, and once the result is negative, they can proceed to their point of origin where they will continue their quarantine.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Lawyer Karlo Nograles, Director Alethea De Guzman and other Department of Health representatives, technical advisors, and the representative of the World Health Organization will appear before the PB on Tuesday afternoon, June 29, to present their data.
Department of Health in Central Visayas officials including Regional Director Jaime Bernadas; Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist; retired Major General Melquiades Feliciano, IATF Visayas chief, and Mia Feliciano also confirmed to join the special session at the Capitol.
RELATED STORIES
Duterte wants unused Bayanihan funds to pay for quarantine of returning Filipinos
PB to hold special session to meet Duque, IATF-EID team of experts
Cebu gov’t to present COVID-19 protocols to Duque, other officials
Following gag order on DOH-7, PB to tap other medical experts for IATF meeting
IATF’s order for military to strictly enforce its arrival protocols hit
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
