Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said the two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who reportedly escaped from quarantine facilities were already found.
One of the OFWs are already under the custody of the Department of Health- Bureau of Quarantine (DOH-BOQ), said OWAA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac on Tuesday.
“Doon naman sa taong COVID-positive. Siya ngayon ay nasa kustodiya na ng DOH – BOQ sa isang pasilidad. So the situation is under control,” Cacdac said in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Hirit.
(The COVID-positive individual is now under the facility of DOH-BOQ. So the situation is under control.)
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Monday eight repatriated OFWs escaped from their hotels before their COVID-19 test results were released.
Another COVID-19 OFW patient was also located yesterday, said Cacdac.
“Ang sitwasyon ay under control. ‘Yung naiulat kahapon ay dalawang kaso at kakatapos lang po ng pagpupulong namin diyan at malinaw naman po na na-locate ‘yung dalawang naunang naiulat na tumakas. Na-trace naman po at na-locate,” Cacdac said.
The OWWA official refused to give further details on the patients, as DOH should provide information on COVID-19 patients.
PCG commandant Admiral Joel Garcia earlier reported up to 18,000 OFWs were stranded in Metro Manila.
Some of the OFWs also complained about their extended stay quarantine facility, which should be only 14 days.
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Cadac explained that local government units in the OFWs’ home provinces refused to accept them amid the coronavirus threat.
“Problem: ‘Yung mga (returning to) Visayas, Mindanao noong panahon na ‘yun walang flight. Nag-impose ng requirement like PCR tests etcetera,” he said.
(Problem is those returning to Visayas and Mindanao have no flights during that time. Requirements like PCR tests etcetera are imposed.)
“So it happened, ‘yung mga Visayas, Mindanao na lalo around that time na ipinataw ‘yung swab tests (na requirement) ay nakalagpas na ng 14 days because they are waiting for local government units to accept them,” he added.
(So it happened that Visaya and Mindanao imposed swab test requirement. Their stay exceeded 14 days because they are waiting for local government units to accept them.)
Cacdac said around 7,500 out of the 8,500 OFWs staying in quarantine facilities under OWWA’s management can return home.