By Argyll Geducos, Genalyn Kabiling, Hanah Tabios, Betheena Unite, Analou De Vera, and Ariel Fernandez President Duterte appealed to the public to stop discriminating against Chinese nationals amid the 2019-novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) scare in the country, saying that the virus was no one’s fault. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
(ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) He also said that the government is not totally shutting the country's doors on all Chinese visitors after a temporary entry ban on foreigners travelling from China over the spread of the 2019-nCoV. The President clarified that Chinese travellers coming from other countries can visit the Philippines as long as they have a valid visa. He said discriminating against the Chinese is “utter disrespect to a human being. It's like Sinophobia. You hate everything that is Chinese. It is not good because I'm saying we have so many ." "Even if there are none, we are a community of nations. We cooperate," he added. "It happened in China, at least the first. ‘Yun lang (That's it). But that is not the fault of anybody. Not the Chinese, not the Filipino, no one." "China has been kind to us. We can only also show the same favor to them. Stop this Sinophobia." In a press briefing after an emergency meeting to discuss recent developments regarding the virus, President Duterte said the Sinophobia may affect Filipinos who are still in China where a majority of the infections and deaths are reported. "It is not only a case of bad tast;, but it is not good for us Filipinos to be saying that. Remember that there are now so many thousands of Filipinos in China and they cannot go out because coming in or going out of China is prohibited," he told reporters in Malacañang Monday evening. The President likewise said he will not bar all Chinese from entering the country after his temporary entry ban on all nationalities traveling from China for the past 14 days. He said those who are coming in from another country may be allowed to enter as long as they have a valid visa. Duterte also noted that the Philippines can return the kindness that China has been showing the country. Seafarers banned Filipino seafarers will have to endure staying in their vessels and not seeing their families when they reach their home ports as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) banned them from doing so amid the coronavirus threat. Crewmen of vessels from China have been prohibited to disembark from the ship while docked at any PPA-controlled ports in the country. All visitation privileges given to relatives of Filipino seafarers and non-government organizations extending emotional and spiritual help to seafarers were also cancelled. “Not only the passengers coming from Chinese territories should be barred from disembarking, but we should also disallow vessel crews which recently called in any China port,” PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said. A special team will be deployed to monitor the movements of personnel and people inside the port. All concerned agencies were also encouraged to issue parallel directives within their jurisdiction. READ MORE: Filipino seafarers arriving from China banned from disembarking amid nCoV threat Some 300 Chinese passengers who were stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport flown were back to their country on board commercial flights after local carriers cancelled their flights to and from China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Immigration spokespersom Dana Sandoval said some 120 Chinese passengers boarded a Cathay Pacific flight back to Hong Kong as early as 5 a.m. Tuesday at the NAIA Terminal 3. Another 86 Chinese passengers were flown back to Pudong ,China on board China Easterm Airlines Tuesday morning while 96 Chinese passengers boarded a flight China Southern CZ 398 past 9:00 p.m. on Monday. READ MORE: Foreigners stranded in NAIA by travel ban finally get flights out Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar continued to urge the public to refrain from spreading fear and rumors. He said in these trying times, there is no room for discrimination. Rather, he insisted setting aside individual differences to overcome the global health emergency. The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) also asked the public to stop sharing fake reports and racist remarks amid the ongoing global health scare. "Spreading fake news and racist, xenophobic messages can be more dangerous than the virus itself due to their negative effects of causing confusion, fears, rancor, and instability,” FFCCCII President Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong said. "Instead of racist attacks by some quarters, we should commend the China government’s transparency, for their remarkable political will, and their immense sacrifices of imposing a lockdown on Wuhan City and its neighbors which involve millions of people," Lim Bon Liong said. "At this time of crisis, a viral epidemic that threatens the health of people around the world, we should act as one," said Teresita Ang-See of Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran Inc. "There is no room for divisiveness or blaming others. Viruses know neither race nor boundaries. To stop it from spreading and help the afflicted is our primordial task," she added. Ang-See called on the public to stop spreading hate. READ MORE: Andanar, Fil-Chi community decry racism against Chinese amid nCoV scare