Duterte orders DOH to 'critique' Cebu's COVID protocols for arriving air travelers

President Duterte has given the Department of Health (DOH) until Thursday to assess the different testing and quarantine protocols being implemented by the province of Cebu.

The President issued the directive to the health department after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia explained to him the coronavirus situation of the province and its health protocols for arriving passengers that are dissimilar to those implemented by the national government.

Duterte held a meeting with Garcia in Malacañang Monday after the Palace directed all Cebu-bound international flights to be diverted to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) due to supposed shortage of its quarantine facilities. The President's meeting with Garcia lasted for more than two hours.

"Ang sabi pa rin ng Presidente, ang mga national policies dapat sinusunod ng lahat (The President said national policies must be followd by all), Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said during a televised press briefing Tuesday, June 1.

"Pero pagdating po dito sa Cebu, ang naging desisyon ni Presidente, bigyan natin hanggang Huwebes ang Department of Health para mag-critique, 'critique' doon sa revised protocols o ibang protocols na pinapatupad sa Cebu at tingnan natin kung akma ba talaga ito sa Cebu o mayroon ba tayong matututunan (But when it comes to Cebu, the President's decision is to give the Department of Health until Thursday to critique the revised protocols or the different protocols implemented in Cebu and determine if these are appropriate in Cebu or if we can learning something. That will be until Tuesday)," he added.

In the meeting, Roque said Garcia informed the President about Cebu's protocols for returning Filipinos, including two swab tests within a week and a strict home quarantine, due to its limited isolation facilities.

Under Cebu's protocols, Roque said arriving passengers are required to take a COVID swab test on the first day of arrival, and will be allowed to go on on strict quarantine at home. The second polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test will then be conducted on the seventh day.

"Naubusan talaga ng kuwarto pero ngayon po hindi na problema iyan (They really ran out of rooms but now that's no longer a problem)," he said.

"Sa tingin nila at according sa datos ay mas epektibo ito na mahuli iyong mga kaso ng COVID kasi nga first day at saka seventh day (They believe and according to the data, these protocols are more effective to detect COVID cases because of the testing on first day and seventh day)," he added.

According to Roque, Garcia also invoked "humanitarian" reasons for the province's health protocols for returning Filipinos.

"Sabik na sabik nang umuwi, biglang kinakailangan mag-aantay pa ng sampung araw at para doon sa mga returning Filipinos naman, sila ang sagot ng 10 days quarantine, facility quarantine (They are eager to return home but are suddenly required to wait for 10 days. For those returning Filipinos, they will shoulder the expenses for 10-day facility quarantine)," he said.

Roque said the President understood these concerns especially in relation to the "humanitarian aspect" involving Filipino workers. But the President stressed the importance of complying with national policies in relation to the coronavirus response.

The Palace earlier ordered that all international flights bound for Mactan-Cebu International Airport to be diverted Manila. The arriving passengers are required to undergo the testing and quarantine protocols authorized by the national government. The Palace later explained that Cebu's lack of COVID-19 quarantine hotels prompted the flight diversion to Manila.

Under the present IATF rules, all incoming travelers regardless of vaccination status must undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. The first 10 days shall be observed in a quarantine facility, with the remainder to be completed under home quarantine.

The arriving passengers must also take a PCR test on the seventh day of quarantine. “Notwithstanding a negative test result, the arriving traveler shall complete the facility-based quarantine period of ten (10) days,” the IATF’s omnibus guidelines on community quarantine in the country read.