CEBU CITY – Study Cebu province’s COVID-19 management and see if it can be applied nationwide.
President Rodrigo Duterte issued this order to Health Secretary Francisco Duque when he and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia met on Monday night in Malacañang.
Garcia, accompanied by Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the Department of Health-Central Visayas, Edmun Liu, chairman of the Project Balik Buhay and retired Major Gen. Mel Feliciano, chief implementer of IATF Visayas, flew to Malacañang to discuss quarantine protocols involving arriving Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and returning Filipino overseas (ROFs).
The governor’s meeting with the President came after the Mactan-Cebu International Airport-bound were diverted to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in an apparent rebuke of Garcia’s Executive Order (EO) No. 17.
Garcia’s EO deviated from the IATF policy that requires arriving OFWs and ROFs to complete a 14-day hotel quarantine, including a swab test on the seventh day.
Under Garcia’s EO, which is supported by a provincial ordinance, arriving OFWs and ROFs are swab tested upon arrival before they proceed to quarantine hotels where they would stay for at least two days to wait for the result of the test.
OFWs and ROFs who are residents Cebuano will be allowed to go home and will be swabbed on the seventh day after their arrival and will continue their 14-day quarantine at home.
The difference in quarantine was pointed out by the President during the meeting, Garcia said.
“It seems in Cebu, you are not following the IATF guidelines,” Garcia said, quoting the President.
“The President in the same breath also said ‘I do recognize the help of the local government units (LGUs) in the implementation of the policy since it is the local chief executives who are on the ground’,” Garcia said.
Garcia defended her EO, saying that the 14-day has become a financial burden for OFWs and ROFs.
“Then I brought up the humanitarian aspect. These OFWs, they do not come home to have a good time. They don’t have enough cash to pay their tickets. They come home because there is a reason. It’s either there is a family member who is sick or someone has died,” Garcia said.
Garcia said Health Secretary Francisco Duque also defended the national policy of enforcing a 14-day quarantine.
“Duque started talking about variants. How dangerous it is even if they tested negative, it can still be a false negative,” Garcia said.
With the help of Loreche, Garcia stressed that Cebu has been managing COVID-19 situation well as seen in the decreasing cases.
Garcia then suggested for the national government to look into the policies of the province.
“If you see something working, wouldn’t it be worth it to study it and find out why is it working and perhaps apply this to other regions?” Garcia said.
“Loreche showed complete figures that showed Cebu was able to manage,” Garcia added.
Garcia recalled Interior Secretary Eduard Año pointing out that COVID-19 cases are rising in other areas in Central Visayas and Cebu was the source of infection.
Garcia said Dino chimed in after hearing Año’s remarks.
“I’m sorry I find that statement very unfair. How can you prove that?” Garcia said, quoting Dino.
Also present in the meeting were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez and Senator Bong Go.
Roque likewise pitched for the national government to take a look at Cebu’s COVID-19 policy.
“It’s time to ask why Cebu is in MGCQ for 10 months now. NCR was not able to it. Maybe it’s time to study what Cebu is doing,” Roque reportedly said.
In the end, Duterte instructed Duque to study Cebu’s procedures and see if this could be possibly adopted nationwide.
The President likewise praised Garcia for her supposed proactive approach.
“Gwen you are very proactive leader and this is good. So we have to study what you are doing. In the meantime, national policy must be followed. However we admit that we are not perfect,” the President reportedly told Garcia.