A senior administration congressman on Monday, March 15 asked the House of Representatives to open an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the “frequently changing testing and quarantine protocols” on foreigners and returning Filipinos imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
In House Resolution No. 1650, Kabayan Partylist Rep. Ron Salo urged the Committees on Health and on Overseas Workers Affairs to jointly conduct the investigation.
HR 1650 was filed on the heels of the first year since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hit the country.
Salo, a former official of the Department of Health, Salo noted that government had taken steps to manage the COVID-19 crisis such as trhe declaration by President Duterte of the State of Public Health Emergency in March 2020; placing the entire Luzon island under Enhanced Community Quarantine and the rest of the country under a State of Calamity.
Duterte also reactivated the IATF-EID as the lead policy-making entity in the fight against the pandemic.
“However, the IATF has issued several inconsistent, and oftentimes conflicting, protocols which have caused unnecessary burden and stress to our distressed countrymen, especially the returning OFWs,” lamented Salo.
He noted that as early as April 2020, “many OFWs already raised their concern over the conflicting statements” issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration on the testing and quarantine protocol requirements for returning Filipinos.
“On December 22, 2020, the IATF issued Resolution No. 90 which renders mandatory a 14-day quarantine period in a facility for all persons allowed entry to the country, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR test result,” Salo recalled.
However, a month later, on January 26, 2021, the IATF released another resolution that no longer required persons coming to the country from abroad to undergo the 14-day quarantine. That is if the person’s RT-PCR test which will be administered on the fifth Yet on January 26, 2021, the IATF issued another resolution which no longer requires the mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a facility should the person’s RT-PCR test – to be administered on the fifth day from the date of arrival – yield a negative result.“The frequently changing testing and quarantine protocols for all persons allowed entry to the Philippines has caused confusion and stress to returning Filipinos, especially to OFWs who are returning for emergency reasons, such as terminal illness or death of a family member,” he lamented.
“All this confusion on the protocols is compounded by the unnecessary stress caused by voluminous declarations and documents that need to be signed by the returning Filipinos, particularly the OFWs.” Salo explained.
Salo said it would be best for the IATF to “institute streamlined and uniform protocols” for persons seeking entry to the Philippines.
“The procedures should be simple and facilitative of the right to travel, while ensuring strict adherence to minimum health standards and protocols,” Salo added.