CAREFUL INSPECTION. Health front-liners check the documents of returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) upon their arrival at the General Santos City International Airport on Thursday night (May 28, 2020). Upon their return to Maguindanao later on the same day, the ROFs, numbering 15, were immediately placed in isolation for the required 14-day quarantine for returning residents. (Photo courtesy of Maguindanao PDRRMO)
COTABATO CITY – Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu has a "warm welcome" for all returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs), provided local government units are duly informed of their homecoming.
Mangudadatu made the assurance during a live interview with Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Thursday aired during the Laging Handa Public Briefing over PTV-4.
She assured chief implementer of the country's National Policy Against Covid-19, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., that safety measures are already in place to ensure that returning Maguindanaons do not carry Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.
Mangudadatu also appealed that the province be provided with the list of ROFs and LSIs so appropriate action could be taken.
Maguindanao has established several isolation centers in its district hospitals and other areas to prepare for the coming of stranded residents following the community quarantine measures related to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“All returning residents will have to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine and when necessary, they will be subjected to swab test,” she said in the vernacular.
On Thursday, 15 ROFs arrived in the province under the “Hatid Probinsya” program of the national government and the “Balik Probinsya” program of Maguindanao.
They were fetched by personnel of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office at the General Santos City International Airport.
The ROF batch is on a 14-day quarantine after going through medical check-ups.
All turned out negative for Covid-19 after the anti-body rapid test was conducted.
Describing them as modern heroes, Mangudadatu directed health front-liners to ensure that the returning ROFs are accorded with decent isolation accommodation.
She said more stranded residents from other areas are expected to come home to the province soon. (PNA)
