'SAYANG PANAHON'

Bello to UK OFWs planning to go to Philippines: Kung bakasyon din lang, 'wag na muna

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday said he suggested that overseas Filipino workers in the United Kingdom planning to go to the Philippines for a vacation should consider postponing their trips.

"Uuwi dito, magbabakasyon. Maka-quarantine ng 14 days. Sayang 'yung panahon eh. Eh di hintayin na lang nila na gaganda ang panahon," Bello said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Monday.

"Eh 'yun ay payo lang naman. Kung gusto nilang umuwi, eh di OK lang. Kaya lang dadaan lang ng 14-day quarantine," he said.

Bello said he made the suggestion to President Rodrigo Duterte during their Cabinet meeting on Saturday night to discuss the new variant of coronavirus found in the UK. 

Duterte however said Filipinos coming home would just have to gamble that hopefully they are not carriers of the new variant.

"Sabi ko may total restrictions sa mga galing ng UK except 'yung mga Filipinos na uuwi. OK lang naman pero ang problema, kung OFW, uuwi dito, magbabakasyon, maka-quarantine ng 14 days," Bello said, explaining his proposal.

"Eh ganun kamahal ng Pangulo ang mga OFW. Sabi niya, hindi, pauwiin mo," Bello said.

Filipinos who arrived in the country from the United Kingdom before Christmas were made to undergo a 14-day quarantine as part of the government's stricter measures amid concerns on the new SARS-CoV-2 variant that has been spreading in Britain.

Balikbayans from the UK who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last week were brought to  the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City in Tarlac for the said quarantine.

The government imposed a travel ban on all flights coming from the UK starting on December 24, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. It was initially set to end on December 31, 2020.

However, Duterte on Saturday night approved the extension of the travel ban for all flights from the UK, including those that transited from the UK, for another two weeks.

No case yet among Pinoys

Bello said based on the report of DOLE officials in the UK, no Pinoys have so far been infected by the new variant of the coronavirus.

"So far wala pa namang nare-report na tinamaan ng bagong variety," he said.

"Pagka natamaan sila ng bagong variant, sana hindi makapasok dito, e talagang ika-quarantine mo 'yan. Kaya strict ang protocol ngayon kung galing ka doon sa lugar na may ganyang contamination. Talagang 14-day quarantine ka," Bello said.

The Labor secretary said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will discuss on Monday travel restrictions on travelers coming from countries with the new variant of the coronavirus.

"Palagay ko magkakaroon ng desisyon mamaya 'yung mga lugar na meron na rin gaya ng Australia, Singapore, Japan, baka iko-consider din. We have to be very sure na hindi tayo pasukin ng bagong variety ng COVID-19 na 'yan. 'Yung travel ban puwedeng pag-isipan 'yan kasi mahirap na," Bello said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Sunday said travelers from countries where the new variant of coronavirus from the UK has been reported will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival in the Philippines.

"Lahat ng nanggaling sa mga bansa na meron nang bagong strain ay 14-day quarantine na sila kahit ano pang resulta ng kanilang PCR test," Roque said.

These countries include Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore. —KG, GMA News