Stranded OFWs Bound for China May Be Allowed to Fly Out in 2 Weeks — DOLE

Overseas Filipino workers who have been stranded in the country due to the travel ban to China and its special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau may be allowed to proceed with their trips in two weeks if the novel coronavirus outbreak situation improves, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Wednesday.

“We will observe for two weeks. If after two weeks wala namang indication na lumalala ang situation then we will already allow them to go back,” Bello said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

OFWs whose flights to China, Macau, and Hong Kong have been barred will receive P10,000 cash assistance from the government.

They can also temporarily stay in the halfway house of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator.

Bello said that as long as the affected OFWs are active members of OWWA, they will no longer need to show proof of their canceled flights to avail of the assistance.

On the other hand, Filipinos arriving from China have been required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The first batch of OFWs from China who availed of the voluntary repatriation program will arrive on Saturday and head straight to Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija for quarantine.

A temporary travel ban on all travelers coming from mainland China and its special administrative regions is currently in place to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading in the Philippines which already has two confirmed cases. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News

Source: www.gmanetwork.com