Have the Filipinos lost their sense of bayanihan?
That is what Department of Health (DoH) Secretary Francisco Duque III had been mulling after the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac rejected the plan of the national government to temporarily shelter 45 Filipino repatriates coming from Wuhan, China.
While Sec. Duque did not mention the communities who rejected the 14-day quarantine of Filipino repatriates, it was clear that he was alluding to Nueva Ecija and Tarlac provinces. The national government had earlier announced that Fort Magsaysay Drug Rehabilitation Center in Laur, Nueva Ecija and the New Clark City complex in Capas, Tarlac will house the Filipino repatriates until their release.
On Friday, however, Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan has appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte and Sec. Duque to “consider another place or facility as isolation area” for the Filipino repatriates who are expected to arrive on Monday, February 10, at the Clark International Airport pending the approval of their exit documents by the Chinese government.
In a statement from Germany, Catacutan also said the Department of Health (DOH) did not include the Municipality of Capas in the “last-minute decision for New Clark City Capas to be used as quarantine zone for these Persons under Monitoring (PUMs).”
“While it is true that I, as a Filipino, am in favor of the repatriation of OFWs from the province of Hubei, China, I feel perturbed by the fact that Department of Health (DOH) did not at all, in any way, involve the Capas LGU in its last-minute decision for New Clark City Capas to be used as quarantine zone for these Persons under Monitoring (PUMs). We acknowledge that the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has full jurisdiction over NCC, but I, as the Mayor of Capas, appeal in behalf of all Capaseños to our dear President Rodrigo Duterte and DOH Secretary Francisco Duque to consider another place or facility as isolation area,” said Catacutan.
Duque said: “Nakakalungkot… lahat ng pinuntahan ko puros na lang kontra, kontra yung komunidad (It’s upsetting…all of those which I reached out to, they’re against, the community is against the idea).”
“Sabi ko ‘Sinong mangangalaga sa kapwa nating Pilipino kundi Pilipino din?’ Hindi naman kako natin aasahan ang ibang tao na mangalaga sa mga Pilipino tapos tayo mismong mga Pilipino hindi natin sila bibigyan ng pangangalaga,” he added. (I said, “Who will take care of our fellow Filipinos but Filipinos themselves? We cannot expect others to take care of our fellow countrymen if we ourselves would not take care of them.”)
Duque encouraged the people to show patriotism in the face of a major threat to the health of Filipinos.
“Sayang yung spirit of bayanihan, kilala tayo diyan. Papayag ba tayo na mawala ito? Magpakita tayo ng patriotism (We’re known for our spirit of bayanihan. Would we let that disappear? We should show some patriotism),” he said.
Only Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda had expressed willingness to accommodate the Filipino repatriates coming from China or elsewhere saying the provincial government is ready. A 40-foot container van is currently parked near the Clark International Airport to treat those found positive of the 2019 nCov-ARD that swept China and other countries.