Three senators criticized the new government policy limiting inbound arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to 1,500 passengers a day beginning Saturday, March 20, as it is “unenforceable” and disadvantageous for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Senate labor committee chairperson Joel Villanueva told the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in a Senate hearing on Thursday, March 18, that the new policy would make it difficult for OFWs to come home.

“OWWA, did you recommend this particular advisory to cap at 1,500? Because if you’re recommending that we don’t allow our countrymen to go home, it doesn’t seem right. It’s like we are admitting that our quarantine testing, and contact tracing programs aren’t working. Is that an admission?” Villanueva said in a mix of English and Filipino.

OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac said that they deferred to the National Task Force Against COVID-19 on the policy. He said that the reason for setting the cap at 1,500 is “health-based” and also based on “historical arrival data.”

“We cannot argue with the experts on health. We go by the science, Mr Chair, and we abide by the memorandum coming from Secretary [Deflin] Lorenzana,” said Cacdac.

‘Unenforceable’

Senator Francis Tolentino said the policy is “unenforceable” and would require a lot of cooperation among international immigration officers.

“How would you pluck out Filipino passport holders bound for Manila with tickets, rebook, force them [to disembark]? I really can’t imagine a situation where we would be forcing planes to return to their port of departure just because there are Filipinos and we have reached the 1,500 cap,” said Tolentino.

While the measure exempts distressed OFWs, Villanueva brought up the difficulty of having the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) endorse them as “distressed.”

Villanueva and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said that since it was just NAIA imposing a cap, returning Filipinos would just go to other ports of entry like in Clark Freeport in Pampanga or Cebu.

“Three hundred sixty-five days after COVID came to us, our policies are still confusing and as you just pointed out, the validity and the basis are not clear, that is why people tend not to follow directives,” said Drilon.

Tolentino said he would text NTF head Defense Secretary Lorenzana to revisit the policy.

Avoiding costs?

During the “overflow” of repatriations in April to May 2020, Cacdac said that up around 11,000 OFWs were placed in quarantine facilities, and that similar numbers were reported recently.

Drilon suspected that OWWA is complacent with the cap as it would reduce the agency’s exposure to additional expenses.

Cacdac, again, invoked the NTF memorandum.

“You know, we are a democracy. We can question the decisions of those in power like you. Don’t tell me that because this was the decision of the [NTF] hindi na natin puwedeng pagdebatihan, hindi tama ‘yan (we can’t debate about it anymore, that’s not right),” said Drilon.

“I don’t think it’s a valid reason for you to say, ‘Iyon po ang sinabi ng aming chairman, ‘yan ang aming susundin,’ hindi po ba (‘That’s what our chairman said, so we’ll just follow,’ right)?” he added.

Villanueva said that the policy is “not sound and viable,” while Drilon said it “prejudices OFWs.”

The Philippine government has repatriated over 387,000 OFWs since February 2020, according to DFA numbers. – Rappler.com