Bacolod mayor holds emergency meeting to prepare for influx of OFWs

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued today a memorandum ordering all governors, city and municipal mayors, chiefs of police, and DILG officials to facilitate the “unhampered mass transport of repatriated OFWs to all regions of the country.”

The DILG letter, signed by Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III, dated today, said more than 24,000 OFWs stranded in Metro Manila shall be transported to their respective provinces and cities at an estimate of 8,000 OFWs per day using various modes of transport – air, land, and sea – for three days, starting today until May 27.

“We may have to inform you of the transits without the names and shall have to advise the LGUs to accept [them] as long as the required docs [documents] are shown by each OFW,” Densing wrote.

“We were caught by surprise to receive a memo from the DILG that was dated today, telling us to prepare for the mass arrival of thousands of OFWs also starting today,” Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.

There could be about 1,000 Bacolodnon OFWs out of this number, the mayor added.

Upon receipt of the DILG memo, Leonardia immediately called for an emergency meeting with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chair of the IATF Against COVID-19; Councilor Renecito Novero, who chairs the Quarantine Centers Action Team; Councilor Israel Salanga, who chairs the Action Team on Returning OFWs, Councilor Ayesha Joy Villaflor, City Administrator Em Ang, and representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), DILG, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bacolod City Police Office, and City Health Office, at the Bacolod City Government Center this afternoon.

 

APPEAL

Leonardia said he is appealing to owners of hotels, inns, and pension houses to make their rooms available for returning OFWs.

“This is a time that we appeal to your sense of public service, or even sense of patriotism. This is a matter where our national interest is of utmost concern. We appeal for your cooperation and participation in assisting our stranded OFWs,” the mayor said in his appeal.

The mayor thanked the owners of hotels and lodging facilities who have already signified their commitment to help the OFWs by reserving rooms for them.

“We assure the people of Bacolod that we are doing everything we can to help our OFWs return home, without putting the health of our people at risk,” the mayor added.

For his part, Familiaran said they are contacting the hotels and other lodging facilities for available rooms for the returning OFWs.

“We have no choice but accept them. It’s already congested in Manila and our OFWs also want to go home,” the vice mayor added.

Familiaran said the city is implementing preventing measures to stop the spread of the virus. He said the returning OFWs have undergone RT-PCR tests (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) and tested negative for the virus before they are allowed to board the aircraft or sea vessel.

When the OFWs arrive, they are immediately sent to the city’s quarantine facilities and will have to undergo another 14-day quarantine. Only when they test negative for the virus can they be finally sent home, he added.

Also attending the meeting were Supervising and Administrative Officer Federico Guanzon, Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Edward Joseph Cuansing, City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli, City Tourism Officer Sandra Ruth Sycip, and Philippine Coast Guard – Negros Occidental head Commander Jansen Benjamin.* (CITY PIO)