Gov’t gives arriving OFWs maximum of 5 days to stay in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — The government has set a maximum of five-day stay for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Metro Manila to prevent crowding in quarantine facilities, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

In a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte aired Friday, Lorenzana said this is to avoid the incident before where 24,000 OFWs got stuck in quarantine facilities in the region.

“Yung pinagtutuunan namin ng pansin ngayon yung repatriation pa rin ng mga OFWs saka seafarers kasi ayaw natin maulit yung nangyari noong nakaraang buwan na naipon sila sa Manila,” Lorenzana said.

(What we’re focusing on now is the repatriation of OFWs and seafarers because we don’t want to repeat what happened last month when they got stuck in Manila.)

“Napagkasunduan namin Mr. President na pagka dumating yung OFW, maximum araw na manatali sila sa Manila ay limang araw lang. It could be less but the maximum is five days,” he added.

(We agreed that once the OFWs arrive, they will have a maximum of five days stay in Manila. It could be less but the maximum is five days.)

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered agencies to bring home some 24,000 OFWs who got stuck in quarantine facilities.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier said it will also expand international aviation gateways to Clark, Cebu, and Davao to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminals in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, the government is expecting 16,000 more OFWs to return to the country this June.

/MUF