(UPDATED) CLARK FIELD – The Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corporation (LIPAD), operator of the sprawling Clark International Airport, said it is ready to welcome repatriated Filipinos coming from mainland China.
This as the first batch of repatriated Filipinos from China is expected to arrive on Saturday at the Clark airport.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the first batch of Filipinos will be brought to the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija. The facility which can accommodate 10,000 individuals will also be used as a quarantine facility for returning Filipinos from Wuhan, China.
Caballo Island, which is part of Cavite in Manila Bay, and the Fort Magsaysay Drug Rehabilitation Center in Nueva Ecija were being eyed as quarantine areas for returning overseas workers from China.
The repatriated Filipinos will be subjected to a 14-day mandatory quarantine as per the guidelines of the Department of Health (DoH).
There are reportedly 45 Filipinos in Hubei province, mostly from the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. They have expressed willingness to return to the country, according to the DFA said.
Philippine and Chinese authorities now preparing exit permits of the Filipinos who volunteered to be repatriated back home. Two of the 45 Filipinos are reportedly overstaying and authorities will process their immigration status in China so they can go home.
LIPAD’s Teri Flores said the Clark airport management on Wednesday met with representatives of the Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs and the Philippine Air Force amid the plans to repatriate Filipinos from China, the epicenter of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019 nCoV- ARD).
Flores said Clark airport, which is also closely coordinating with the provincial government led by Governor Dennis Pineda, “is prepared to put together the necessary arrangements as soon as we get the directive from the government regarding this event.”
The government agencies are still awaiting final instructions from their superiors.
Flores said the repatriated Filipinos from China “will not arrive in the passenger terminal, but instead, a separate area away from the terminal will be used for this purpose.”
At present, Central Luzon remains free from the 2019 nCoV- ARD.
The Department of Health (DOH) reminds the public on proper handwashing, proper etiquette, cooking food thoroughly specifically meat and eggs, avoiding crowded places and sustaining optimal immune system by having eight hours of sleep, eating a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly.
The public was also warned against the prevalence of fake news. Up to date and validated information on 2019 nCoV-ARD can be accessed at www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCoV.