The Cebu Provincial government is asking for more funds from the Inter-Agency Task Force to shoulder the quarantine expenses of returning Overseas Filipinos.
“Such measure to pay for the hotel quarantine facility of Returning Overseas Filipinos will greatly help them to save on expenses, thereby promoting and protecting the collective interests of all Filipinos in these challenging times,” the resolution from Cebu provincial government said.
The IATF has ordered the Cebu province to follow the national policy of mandatory 10-day quarantine period and 4-day home quarantine for arriving Filipinos.
“Unlike OFWs, whose quarantine accommodation expenses are shouldered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the IATF-MEID’s 10-day hotel based quarantine policy causes distress and undue financial burden on the Returning Overseas Filipinos, since they have to pay for their 10-day hotel quarantine fees, of which the money could have been used for other necessary purposes,” the resolution added.
The Cebu Province also reminded the IATF of President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that the government will be shouldering the expenses even those who are not OFWs.
In a speech last month, Duterte said that paying for the quarantine expenses of returning Filipinos since most of them lost their jobs.
“I am ordering now everybody including the government units i-hotel nila o ano man, babayaran ng national government ‘yan. As to when there is money and we will do it as fast as we can,” Duterte added.
