Bohol mayors agree on a set of guidelines/rules or protocol governing the entry of the returning overseas Filipinos (ROF), locally stranded individuals (LSI) and overseas Filipino workers (OFW) into the province.

The mayors from the various towns in the province gathered at the Capitol on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 to iron out their differences and agree on a set of protocol that will be used for returning Boholanos.

The meeting is an offshoot of the move of the provincial government to allow the various leaders of the local government unit (LGU) to set the protocol that will be used when they accept returning Boholanos.

The mayors decided to have a common set of guidelines and rules by way of creating a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020.

The output of the TWG meeting was then presented to the larger body of mayors during another meeting on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 held at the Capitol.

The Friday meeting of Mayors was presided over by Buenavista  mayor Dave Duallo who is one of the vice presidents of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), Bohol chapter, representing the second district. The other district vice presidents are Balilihan mayor Pureza Chatto, for the first district and Tita Baja of Garcia-Hernandez, for the third district.

Prior to the TWG meeting on Tuesday, the Bohol mayors sought to produce a uniform set of protocol as a way to harmonize the quarantine measures and guidelines that will be implemented by the various LGUs in the province. This decision was articulated through a resolution passed by the LMP on Friday, with a copy of said resolution sent to The Bohol Tribune yesterday, Nov. 21, 2020.

This resolution of the Bohol mayors is now sent to the governor for appropriate action possibly by way of issuing an executive order that will implement the said unified quarantine protocol.

In a press conference regarding this matter, Duallo was heard insisting on the term “private quarantine facility”.

The Bohol Tribune sought a clarification from Duallo regarding the term “private quarantine facility” and the Buenavista mayor said that the term “private quarantine facility” could be in the home of the arriving Boholano or a hotel room. In essence, the Bohol mayors are now allowing home quarantine but with certain limitations and the facility should be approved by the Rural Health Unit (RHU).

STIPULATIONS

For an exact and clear picture of the stipulations agreed upon in the resolution (by the Bohol mayors), The Bohol Tribune is publishing the stipulations of the resolution en toto as found in the succeeding paragraphs and/or numbers.

1. ROFS, LSIS, and OFWs entering the province without undergoing a PCR Test 72 hours prior to their arrival or upon their arrival in the province shall undergo 14-day quarantine in an approved quarantine facility. ROFS, LSIs, and OFWs may undergo home quarantine for the same period of 14-days, provided, that, the ROFs, LSIs, and OFWs are the sole occupants of their homes and upon approval by the Rural Health Unit (RHU).

2. ROFS, LSIs, and OFWs entering the province without undergoing a PCR Test 72-hours prior to their arrival or upon their arrival in the province may, after being confined in a quarantine facility for at least 5-days and after undergoing a PCR Test on the 5h day with negative result, be allowed to undergo home quarantine for a period of 5 days, provided, that, the same is approved by the Rural Health Unit (RHU), provided further, that, if the result of the PCR Test is negative but said individual is symptomatic, said ROF, LSI, or OFW shall remain in the quarantine facility and shall only be discharged after said individual is asymptomatic for a period of 3 consecutive days;

3. ROFS, LSIs, and OFWs entering the province after having undergone a PCR Test 72-hours prior to their arrival, If test results are negative, may be allowed to undergo home quarantine for a period of 10-days, provided, that, said ROF, LSI, or OFW shall be isolated in a private room away from the rest of the occupants of the household and upon approval by the Rural Health Unit (RHU); and

4. ROFs, LSIs, and OFWs entering the province after having undergone a PCR Test upon their arrival, upon release of their results, and with a negative result, may be allowed to undergo home quarantine for a period of 10-days, provided, that, said ROF, LSI, or OFW may be isolated in a private room away from the rest of the occupants of the household and upon approval by the Rural Health Unit (RHU). Said persons shall be confined in a quarantine facility pending release of their PCR Test Results.

Duallo emphasized that the management of the private quarantine facilities will be under the mayor, implemented by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT).

The Buenavista mayor also said that as far as authorized persons outside of residence (APOR) are concerned, the rule is to require those APOR entering Bohol to obtain a PCR test result taken 72 hours prior to arrival.

The APOR may only go to and from the place that has been designated and identified prior to his/her arrival.  No side trips are allowed.

This is applicable only for APOR that will stay in Bohol for less than 5 days.

Another PCR test will be required for APOR who will stay in Bohol for more than 5 days. The APOR needs to be quarantined for 5 days and will take the PCR test on the fifth day.

CURFEW

During the virtual press conference, Duallo informed those who were in attendance that the mayors agreed to impose the existing curfew ordinance of their respective localities implemented prior to the start of the pandemic.

The issue on curfew surfaced as the governor asked the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to repeal the provision of a provincial ordinance setting the general curfew hours in Bohol from 9 pm to 5 am.

The SP on Tuesday, finally repealed the provision on the province-wide curfew, as the province remains under Modified General Community Quarantine until Jan. 31, 2021.

The LMP passed a resolution also in the same meeting regarding the stay-at-home rules covering senior citizens aged 65 years old and over and minors aged 15 years old and younger.

Duallo said that the mayors are suggesting to Gov. Arthur Yap to allow the senior citizens aged 65 years old or older to break the stay-at-home rule on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

 According to Executive Order No. 52, seniors aged 65 years old and over are able to break the stay-at-home rule on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

On the other hand, it was suggested that minors will break the stay-at-home rule on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Currently, the minors may leave their homes accompanied by adults who are not senior citizens aged 65 years old and over only on Friday and Saturday.

The LMP suggestions are now forwarded to the governor for appropriate action, Duallo bares.