Lorenzana assures no more delay in sending returning OFWs to their provinces; maximum 5 waiting days

June 5, 2020

Defense Secretary and National Task Force on COVID-19 chair Delfin Lorenzana has assured that returning overseas Filipino workers would have a maximum five days of staying in quarantine facilities as they would immediately be sent home once they are found negative for coronavirus infection.

Lorenzana made the assurance during a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City on Thursday but was aired on Friday morning.

"When an OFW arrives, the maximum number of days that he will stay in Manila will be five days. It could be less, but the maximum is five days," he said.

He said the system has been put in place.

This was after over 24,000 OFWs were only able to return to their provinces last week after months of staying in quarantine facilities in Metro Manila due to the delay in releasing their clearances.

After receiving the complaints, President Rodrigo Duterte gave the concerned government agencies a deadline of one week to allow the return of stranded OFWs to their provinces.

Lorenzana said that 42,000 more OFWs are expected to arrive in the country in the coming days.

He said the number of arriving OFWs that could be accommodated at the airport per day could be increase to 1,500 to 2,000 to "fast-track the processing."

Lorenzana said the NTF will also process returning Filipinos who are not OFWs but mere tourists or students who are stranded abroad due to the lockdown imposed by various countries due to coronavirus disease pandemic.

"So, rest assured that in the coming days, the processing of OFws will be smooth," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS