The struggles of going home
Homecoming has always been an exciting experience for every Boholano who are living, working, or vacationing in different parts of the world. Before the pandemic, returning overseas Filipinos, Boholanos working in other parts of the country, and those working as OFW enjoyed the comforts of travel courtesy of the modern means of transportation. Family members, neighbors, and friends eagerly wait for the arrival of one who has been away for months or years, hoping to rekindle the bond that has been put in stagnation.
But the current health crisis has completely frustrated the expectation of a happy reunion. When COVID-19 started in the Philippines, lockdowns have temporarily deprived a father or mother working abroad to be reunited with his or her family. There was a period in our province when the borders were completely closed, making the separation of family and friends a painful experience.
Then came the order from the national government that OFWs and locally stranded individuals must be allowed entry into the province. The local government units agreed grudgingly but those who dared a perilous travel back home underwent very stringent health protocols which were never experienced before in the history of travel.
As the number of COVID-19 cases increased to nearly half a million in Bohol, realization came that draconian measures do more harm than good as the Philippine economy plummeted to a historic low. The government shifted gears, reopened the economy, and unleashed the people from the fetters that restricted their liberty and impaired their livelihood.
Governor Art Yap have recently given the municipal governments the discretion to craft their own protocols for returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), LSIs, and OFWs. In response, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bohol Chapter adopted a resolution recommending a unified and harmonized protocol.
Under the LMP recommendation, ROFs, LSIs, and OFWs entering the province now have a variety of options. They can enter the province without undergoing a PCR Test 72-hours prior to their arrival or upon arrival in the province but they shall undergo a 14-day quarantine in an approved quarantine facility. They may opt for a home quarantine provided that they are the sole occupants of their homes and upon approval by the Rural Health Unit (RHU).
LMP also recommended another option for returning Boholanos to enter the province without undergoing a PCR Test 72 hours prior to their arrival or upon arrival, but with a mandatory quarantine for at least five days. On the 5th day, a PCR Test will be conducted and if the result is negative, they can choose to continue their quarantine at home for a period of 5 days. If an individual is symptomatic, he shall remain in the quarantine facility and shall be discharged only after said individual is asymptomatic for a period of 3 consecutive days.
The third and last options require the ROFs, LSIs, and OFWs a PCR Test 72-hours prior to their arrival or upon their arrival. When negative results are released, a 10-day home quarantine is required with the same condition under the first two options.
The LMP recommendation provides for more quarantine options to returning Boholanos, but it is accompanied by an increased risk of transmission of COVID-19. Home quarantine makes the homecoming of ROFs, LSIs, and OFWs an inch closer to a happy reunion before the pandemic. However, the returning Boholanos and their families are saddled with the responsibility to be more cautious. During this health crisis, one person’s recklessness may the entire community to suffer. We hope that the LMP recommendation is a move towards the right direction. by ATTY. GREG BORJA AUSTRAL, CPA