BOQ asks for more personnel as COVID-19 threat lingers

The Bureau of Quarantine is appealing to the government for more personnel so it can work on their mandate effectively, its official said Friday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, BOQ deputy director Dr. Roberto Salvador Jr. said the bureau has been asking for workers from the government since December 2020.

“Ang panawagan lang po namin sa government na sana po matugunan ‘yung pangangailangan ng BOQ. Kulang po kami sa tao,” he said.

(We are calling on the government to respond to the needs of the BOQ. We lack personnel.)

Instead of having more, Salvador said personnel in the bureau have been actually reduced. Asked how many personnel the BOQ needs, he said the bureau needs a huge number of workers.

The BOQ is mandated to ensure security against the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, emerging diseases, and public health emergencies of international concern.

One of the tasks of BOQ is checking the documents of returning overseas Filipinos upon their arrival at the airport. They are also facilitating their quarantine.

Earlier, the BOQ said that it was expanding its capacity to accommodate more requests for "yellow cards" or International Vaccine Certificate to a surge in demand last year. —LBG, GMA News