OFWs arrive at NAIA, ecstatic to finally fly home: Sobrang saya, hindi ma-explain

Repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were relieved to be finally heading home on Tuesday, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered government agencies to ensure they are sent home in a week's time.

"Sobrang saya! Hindi ma-explain, alam mo 'yon?" said Daisy, who said she stayed in a quarantine facility for a week, in a report by Jonathan Andal on GMA News' Unang Balita.

Daisy and many other OFWs were at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 before dawn on Tuesday for their flights back to their home provinces.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) picked them up from the hotels which served as their quarantine facilities then brought them to NAIA via buses.

Buses ferrying the OFWs continued arriving one after the other.

Some OFWs however said they went on their own to NAIA since they were not picked up by the PCG and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Before entering the terminal building, OFWs had to show their passport, quarantine certificate, and name on the list of cleared OFWs posted online by the PCG.

OFW John Balantupan, who stayed in a quarantine facility for over a month waiting for his COVID-19 test result, was happy to finally be at the airport.

"Masaya po, sir, kasi 'yung depression at stress... tsaka makakasama na rin namin ang pamilya namin," he said.

However, he said there were still OFWs in the hotel he stayed who could not leave yet since their COVID-19 test results were not yet released.

OFW Love Eala, however, had a different story. 

He was at NAIA Terminal 2 before dawn on Tuesday but was not allowed to board a flight for his home province.

Eala arrived in the country in November, went to Manila in January then got stuck in the capital as lockdown was enforced in March.

He had no swab test result.

Eala said his shipping agency coordinated with the OWWA a month ago but they have yet to receive the COVID-19 test result.

The OFWs interviewed at NAIA Terminal 2 said their respective local government units have told them they will be subjected to another COVID-19 swab test upon their arrival and undergo 14-day quarantine. —KG, GMA News