48 OFWs stranded in Manila arrive in Bohol

By Marisol Bo-oc | 11:39 PM April 28, 2020

At least 48 Boholanos who are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) returned to Bohol on Tuesday night, April 28.

The group was the first of three batches of repatriated OFWs who will return to Central Visayas.

They arrived at past 6:30 p.m. at the Tagbilaran Port.

These OFWs were the first batch of the 262 who were given travel authority from the inter-agency task force (IATF) on Covid-19.

They were brought to quarantine facilities for the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

At least 17 OFWs who were stranded in Cebu also arrived at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

A total of 291 repatriated OFWs including Boholanos bound for Central Visayas boarded the 2Go passenger vessel St. Michael the Archangel.

It left Manila at around 2:00 a.m. on April 27, 2020 and arrived in Cebu early morning of April 28, 2020.

Of the 291 repatriated OFWs, 220 is bound for Cebu, 48 for Bohol, while 24 OFWs will disembark in Dumaguete City.

The Bohol-bound OFWs disembarked at Cebu port and were ferried to Bohol in a separate vessel.

The said OFWs are seafarers who were displaced by the pandemic and were stranded in Manila due to the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), said Marlou Salazar, Office of Civil Defense (OCD-7) Regional Director and Co-Chairperson of IATG-MEID-RDRRMC 7.

Upon arrival, they underwent the mandatory health protocols conducted by a team from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) in Region 7.

They went through the screening process which involved thermal scanning, physical exam, and were asked to download the WeTrace app, among others, said Dr. Shelbay Blanco, Medical Officer III of DOH-7.

They also underwent tests in Manila prior to their departure.

All the luggage the OFWs brought with them were decontaminated.

OWWA-7 has also arranged the accommodations of the OFWs in their respective provinces in the region for the duration of their quarantine period.