The decision of the government to place a “cap” or limit the number of arrivals into the country at 4,000 pax a day needs to be reviewed by an independent group of experts in medicine, logistics and crisis management and needs to be done urgently. I put emphasis on the term “independent” because the decisions are being made by government officials who have to make executive decisions along with political considerations, where political interests or fears of negative publicity seem to weigh more in the final outcome on rules to be followed. Sadly, they make decisions that are of no cost or consequence to them directly but have already resulted in airlines losing billions of pesos and lives of many Filipinos abroad seriously disrupted.
Secretary of Health Francisco Duque has remained very conservative as far as government policies and protocols are concerned and that is good “if” our “only” concern or priority is public health. But that is not and should not be the case. We have all talked about balancing health and the economy in Metro Manila, now it is about time that we play fair. Aside from public health and safety, we need to consider how those policies impact all Filipinos, not just those in-country but also the millions currently living, working or stranded abroad. How does the limits on entry or return to the Philippines affect those Filipino citizens abroad?
For starters, they too are sitting ducks for COVID infection as foreigners where they are. A recurring nightmare often told is that of Filipinos losing jobs and having no homes or barracks to stay in until their confirmed departure or repatriation. If the cap on arrivals results in stranded, displaced OFWs or Filipinos denied return due to technicality, what safety nets has the Duterte administration put in place to assist citizens? Most of our embassies have been turned into temporary shelters run by embassy personnel who did not sign up for this work and certainly not without a budget or financial resources, like halfway houses depending on charity to feed the desperate and the hungry, angry Pinoys who just want to go home.
Here on home territory, I don’t know what is more frustrating for the business community and management experts in government: to follow rules that are not in tune with reality, or watching huge companies such as airlines financially crumble due to lost earnings and opportunities when airlines could actually do a better job of managing their business along with managing their arrivals, implementing health protocols as well as handling the over-all logistical requirements to limit the entry or spread of COVID-19 and its variants. The bottom line is all of this can be done by the airlines if we let them do so, instead of going belly up with no say and no chance to fight and operate towards their survival.
One good suggestion that Presidential Adviser Joey Concepcion and PAL SVP for strategic planning Dexter Lee shared with media recently was for the government to have two different procedures for OFWs and non-OFWs because the non-OFWs generally have the means to pay to fly back to the country and always book their own hotel/quarantine facility. For expediency’s sake, they also pay or call in private laboratory testing when needed because they want to be cleared faster. If that suggestion were to be adopted, then the current arrival cap based on availability of government funds, RT-PCR testing units and available hotel or quarantine rooms can be “adjusted” and used to apply only to arriving OFWs or government repatriates.
I’m sure that officials of the IATF will see the wisdom in listening to and allowing the private sector, specifically the airline-hotel-transport industry and medical laboratories to come up with a seamless plan to process all those arrivals, from landing at NAIA, initial testing, transfer and check-in. They have done all of this for decades and they are the true experts on the matter. The IATF and the NTF have benefitted in allowing the private sector to participate in the national vaccination program. It’s time to join hands once again in working out the best solution to bringing home our kababayans based on competencies, cooperations and not on rigid arrival caps.
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Boracay Island update: The crowds are back with a vengeance and so are the “Commissioners” – hawkers, masseurs and flyer- peddlers. All of whom seem to grow in numbers relative to the inflow of tourists. Sources indicate that the “One Entry-One Exit” policy may be full of holes with reported illegal entry at night on tiny bancas. A close look did not show IDs that can be used to check if they are “illegally” on the island.
There is a strong voluntary adherence to wearing face masks but social distancing in restaurants is often ignored or overlooked. Certain spots along the more commercial areas are also prone to crowds building up. PNP personnel are highly visible as well as LGU security who monitor the stretch of the main beach.
When we decided to extend our stay by five days, we were advised to renew our QR code but four days in and no one had responded to our request either by text or email. Why you even have to “renew” your QR code when you have not left the island escapes logic! As a last resort, we reached out to DOT Secretary Berna Romulo who kindly referred us to the DOT Regional Director Tina Mansinares who reached out to the local LGU. When we reached the departure area at Boracay, we found out that “yes you should get an extension QR code but there is such a delay you can use your original one!”
Hotel rates are comparatively low, mostly at the P3,000 average, while food prices are comparatively slightly expensive perhaps due to handling. Many resorts are booked until 2nd week of January. So have fun if you can find room at the inns by the beach and have a Happy New Year!