New-hire OFWs share departure difficulties due to COVID protocols

Newly-hired overseas Filipino workers have shared some of the problems they had to go through for their travel abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with one confessing confusion over swab test results.

“Baon na kami sa utang kaya kailangan ko ng matuloy,” admitted Mark Anthony Roldan, 25, a COVID survivor being hired for a job in Japan.

Japan had changed its lockdown schedule for the second time.

“Dapat nung January flight ko na, kaso nag-lockdown si Japan. So dapat itong February 11 na flight ko, kaso nag-lockdown ulit till March 7,” he Roldan said in an interview via Messenger on February 8.

“Sagot ng company namin sa Japan yung swab before flight dati. Pero this time, kami na. Ang sabi ng isa sa bosses namin is last lockdown na daw yung sa March kasi kaya lang nag-lockdown to delay muna yung start ng Olympics and, at the same time, nagbabakunahan na sila dun laban sa COVID-19,” Roldan added, referring to the livestock farm he would work for.

On the other hand, Jane (not her real name) "suddenly" turned positive for COVID a day before her flight.

“Yung pangalawa kong swab, nag-negative na ako after ko mag-14 days home isolation. So inakala ko na makakaalis na ako kasi alam ko okay na ko at wala naman ako kahit anong sakit na naramdaman maliban sa pagkawala ng pang-amoy. Pero a day before ng flight ko, nag-positive ulit ako – yun ay 5 days after ko mag-negative ulit,” recounted the 32-year-old caregiver in Casablanca, Morocco.

“Hindi ko naman masabi na napeperahan ako pero yun ang naiisip ko minsan kasi okay na okay naman ako tapos nag-negative na ko then after ilang days lang, positive na naman. Medyo confusing lang. Wala akong nakuha na scientific answer and explanation after I called the hospital. They just told me to do the the swab test again so medyo frustrated lang ng konti kasi magastos din and hindi natuloy again yung flight ko,” she added in an interview via Messenger on February 8.

Jane then recounted what her townmates, partner, and grandfather had gone through.

“Naririnig ko yung others from our hometown na na-diagnose as COVID-19 positive kahit iba naman yung reason na pinunta nila sa hospital. Yung partner ko and lolo ko positive din pero ni isang symptoms, wala sila. Lalo na lolo ko! Never siyang nagka-sipon or ubo. Wala rin lagnat at hindi nawalan ng pang-amoy and panglasa but still nag-positive siya. Nag-home isolation na lang kami ng 14 days mahigit.”  —LBG, GMA News