Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6) — The Clark International Airport reopened its doors on Friday to accommodate overseas Filipino workers returning to the country, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority said.
“Binuksan natin ang Clark airport para i-decentralize ang pagdating ng mga overseas Filipino workers. Mas magiging mabilis at mas komportable ang pag-uwi at pag-aalaga sa mga OFWs sa mga susunod na araw,” BCDA President and CEO Vince Dizon said.
[Translation: We opened up the Clark airport to decentralize the arrival of overseas Filipino workers. Taking care of the OFWs and bringing them home in the coming days will become much faster and comfortable.]
The agency said the airport’s first flight which arrived from Dubai carried 262 passengers, 257 of whom were OFWs. On Saturday, a flight from Vancouver, Canada with 347 Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship seafarers also landed in Clark.
Aside from a one-stop shop to assist passengers upon arrival, booths were also set up at the airport so that swab tests could be conducted on the returnees before they head to their respective hotels. The swab samples will then be processed at the JB Lingad Memorial Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
“Ang objective natin ay hindi lalagpas ng limang araw ang kanilang [pag-stay sa hotels]. Kapag sila ay negatibo, makakauwi na sila, maximum of 5 days,” said Dizon.
[Translation: Our objective is for their hotel stay not to exceed five days. If they are negative (for COVID-19), they can go home, a maximum of five days.]
The streamlined process is in line with the COVID-19 national task force’s earlier pronouncement that returning OFWs must be sent home within the prescribed period and avoid prolonged quarantine periods due to testing delays.
The government had said that around 60,000 workers would be coming back to the country in the next two months, with 300,000 possibly returning by the end of the year.
