 |
| Consul General Raly Tejada says the 14-day quarantine for vacationing Filipinos remains enforced |
After Manila ’s travel ban to Hong Kong was lifted for Filipino residents and migrant
workers, a new problem has emerged for those who now plan on going home for a
holiday.
They all want to know if the 14-day quarantine for those
entering the Philippines from
Hong Kong means they cannot come back to the
city until after they have stayed in the country that long.
The answer, says Consul General Raly Tejada, is yes. “14 day
it is,” he said in response to a query made on behalf of several would-be
travelers, many of them overseas Filipino workers.
That means, all Filipinos who enter the country from Hong Kong while the restriction is in place will not be
allowed to fly out until after they have remained there for the required
period.
The 14-day standard quarantine period is meant to ensure
that Filipinos and permanent visa holders in the Philippines
arriving from Hong Kong , China and Macau
do not have the dreaded novel coronavirus or Covid-19.
This reasoning is being questioned by many of those
desperate to make a quick trip home, pointing out that Hong Kong has a much
lower rate of infection compared to other countries where the Philippines has
not imposed a travel ban.
As of today, there are nearly 80,000 confirmed cases of
Covid-19, mostly in China Japan and South Korea Italy has
152, and Singapore Manila in any of
these countries except China
 |
| Self-quarantine card issued to Filipinos arriving from China, HK and Macau |
Despite this, the Philippines has remained rigid in its
requirement that all Filipinos arriving from China and its SARs stay in the country
for 14 days, even those who just want to go home for emergency reasons, like attending
a family member’s funeral.
Told that some of those who want to go home are begging for
an exemption just so they could see a relative one last time, ConGen Tejada
said he did not have that authority. Nor can he advise them on what to do. “Wala
din akong ma-advice. The 14-day quarantine remains ,” he says.
Among those who sent a message to the Consulate to ask if
she could go home for just a week to attend her brother’s funeral is Del, who
said she was granted only that short break by her employer who has two young
children to look after.
“Hay, libing sana Del
The 14-day self-quarantine was among the conditions laid
down by the Philippine government when it imposed a travel ban on Feb 2 in and
out of China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Under the travel restrictions, only Filipinos and permanent
visa holders in the Philippines
can enter the country if they are flying in from Hong Kong, Macau and China Philippines
The ban was partially lifted on Feb. 18, but only to allow
Filipino residents and OFWs departing for Hong Kong and Macau .
The inbound restrictions remained.
In an advisory on Feb. 19, the Consulate reposted an advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs which said in part: “There
is no travel ban on Filipino nationals and permanent residents returning from
China and its SARs however, returning travelers will be subjected to a 14-day
self-quarantine upon their return.”
The news that the ban had been partially lifted prompted many
excited OFWs in Hong Kong to start planning their vacation to the Philippines
Initially, their main concern was whether they’d be allowed
to go out of the house during the self-quarantine, but their anxiety was
quickly allayed by a number of those who just recently arrived in the Philippines
Unless they show symptoms of being sick, they are free to go
out, say those who are already in the country. It is up to them if they want to
hole up in the house or mingle outside, but they must make sure they remain
healthy.
But the 14-day stay is now proving to be the bigger concern.
 |
| OFWs in anti-virus protective gear imposed by their employers |
Not a few OFWs have posted on the Facebook group, DWC Help,
asking if the compulsory stay won’t be waived, saying they already have made
bookings for a vacation with a shorter duration.
Said Rhealynm, “Ang iniisip lang naming ay yung pagbalik?
Paano kung hindi namin matapos ang 14 days? Katulad ko, 12 days lang ako. May
nagsabi kasi na dapat tapusin ang 14 days dahil kung hindi hindi ka pababalikin
ng Hong Kong .”
Sherlyn said: “Direct flight ako sa Davao
Tessa, another would-be traveler, commented: “Uuwi ka
magbakasyon, tapos 1week or 2 weeks ka sa Pilipinas, tapos i-quarantine ka pa.
Ano na ang mangyari sa bakasyon mo? Pagtapos mo ng quarantine, balik na na ulit
sa trabaho mo, ano yun?”
For some, going on restricted vacation isn’t worth the
additional worry. Said Lynnedalle: “Kung ako ang tatanungin, ipagpaliban ko
muna ang bakasyon ko, or bayaran na lang ni amo ang annual leave mo…kaysa sa
ganyan, mag-quarantine ka ng 14 days kahit sa bahay lang, hindi mo ma enjoy ang
vacation mo. So para ka lang nagsabi ng hello and bye sa family mo.”
Many simply hope the quarantine will be lifted soon so they
can reunite with their family as before, in peace and with Covid-19 far from
their minds.
---
I-try mo ito, Kabayan: Kung interesado kang ma-contact ang mga advertiser namin dito, pindutin lang ang kanilang ad, at lalabas ang auto-dialer. Pindutin ulit upang tumawag. Hindi na kailangang pindutin ang mga numero.
