Lorenzana: Gov’t to regulate OFW arrivals to prevent overcrowding quarantine facilities

The government will only allow 1,200 to 1,500 returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to enter the country per day to prevent crowding in quarantine facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday.

Lorenzana was referring to the incident where OFWs got stranded in the government’s facilities beyond the mandatory 14-day quarantine due to delayed release of their COVID-19 test results.

“Ayaw na po nating mangyari iyong nakaraan na umabot ng isang buwan, napagakasunduan po namain na limang araw lang ang maximum na nasa Maynila ang OFWs,”  Lorenzana said.

“Kaya iyong darating na 42,000 na OFWs, ang gagawin namin, 1,200 a day [lang ang papasok ng bansa]. Kung lumuwag luwag, 1,500 to 2,000,” he  added.

Lorenzana, however, clarified that the government will only pay for the RT-PCR COVID-19 test of OFWs, including seafarers.

“Iyong mga returning Filipinos po na tourusts, students, permanent residents of the Philippines, they will be processed separately from OFWs. Yung hindi po OFWs, sa kanilang gastos po iyong [COVID-19 test and 14-day quarantine period nila],” Lorenzana said.

The Philippines has recorded 20,382 COVID-19 cases thus far. Of this number, 4,248 recovered while 984 died. — RSJ, GMA News