MANILA, (Mabuhay) — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Friday he was working with the Philippine Red Cross to give the results of the coronavirus tests it conducts directly to repatriated migrant workers, following reports that some of them were quarantined 4 times longer than the required 14-days.
“The backlog is being addressed, iyong sa mga test results. [PRC Chairman Sen.] Dick Gordon and I are working on that,” he said.
“We are going to use the documentation in DFA and in OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) so they can give the test results directly to the OFW. ‘Wag na iyong kailangan pang ilagay sa coupon bond na certification,” he added.
The Philippines has repatriated some 27,000 overseas workers during the coronavirus pandemic and about 43,000 others are expected to come home until June.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday gave agencies one week to bring home the quarantined OFWs to their respective provinces.
“When it (test results) comes out, why does it take so long to give it back to them so they can qualify to get out? That’s what the President got angry about,” said Locsin. “By God, I can tell you everybody’s jumping to get it solved.”
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He also advised OFWs who want to come home to reach out to Philippine embassies or his Twitter account. (MNS)
