(Eagle News)–Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered the creation of help desks for Overseas Filipino Workers who have been repatriated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, Año said the decision to have OFW help desks in DlLG regional offices was following reports some OFWs were not being allowed in their communities, or were being prevented from getting to a government facility so they could undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
All OFWs are also required to undergo rapid testing for the virus.
The order to create the help desks was contained in Memorandum Circular No. 2020-075.
“Miscommunication and misinformation should both be out of the question…Tutulungan natin silang makauwi sa kanilang mga kaanak pagkatapos ng required quarantine period,” Año said.
Año also ordered all regional directors and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao minister of local government to designate a local government operations officer (LGOO) at the city and municipal field offices to be the OFW desk officers in their respective areas.
He said the OFW desk officer should coordinate with the local chief executive about the status of the OFWs, and “must ensure that local government units, including the BARMM, provide all the necessary assistance to the OFWs.”
“Mahirap iyon kasi meron na tayong insidente na nalusutan tayo. Sabi ay COVID-free siya pagkatapos siya raw ay okay na at nag-quarantine na. Pagkatapos umuwi ng bahay, nakapag-infect siya. Mahirap iyong ganoon,” he said.
