Cebu quarantine hotels still charging ROFs

CEBU, Philippines — Returning Filipinos except overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Cebu are still being charged for their stay in quarantine hotels as Malacañang has yet to issue a memorandum regarding the quarantine expenses for ROFs.

During his Talk to the People a week ago, President Duterte said he wanted the unused funds under Bayanihan 2 utilized for the quarantine expenses of ROFs.

Duterte ordered ROFs and OFWs placed in quarantine hotels for 10 days after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases disapproved the protocol of the provincial government on arriving Filipinos.

The provincial government wanted ROFs and OFWs swabbed upon arrival at the Mactan International Airport and quarantined in hotels for at least three days.

ROFs and OFWs who test negative for the virus will be sent home immediately. On the seventh day, they are required to undergo another swab test.

The IATF protocol, however, requires a 10-day facility quarantine for ROFs and OFWs, swab test on the seventh day and four-day home quarantine should they test negative.

The IATF and Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia will meet tomorrow to solve the issue.

With Duterte’s announcement last week, ROFs expected that the free hotel quarantine would already be in effect.

A city councilor who returned from the US was surprised after the management of a hotel where he is quarantined informed him that he should pay for his 10-day stay.

Bogo City councilor Noel Seno said he was in the US when he heard about Duterte’s announcement. Seno said he booked a two-day stay to allow him time to wait for the result of his swab test.

Alfred Reyes, president of the Hotel Restaurant and Hotel Association of Cebu, said that for the time being, they would follow what has been imposed since last year – charging ROFs for their quarantine stay – until such time that Malacañang issues a formal order. — The Freeman