COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said it is intensifying measures to monitor the influx of locally-stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) availing of the government’s “Hatid Tulong” program.
The program has been linked to the region’s spike in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.
Mohd Asnin Pendatun, spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) on Covid-19, said during Thursday’s press briefer seven more LSIs and a ROF were added to the region’s confirmed cases, which has already reached 134.
“We have eight new cases, all of these are LSIs and ROFs, five in Lanao del Sur and three in Basilan; they are all asymptomatic,” Pendatun said, adding that the region currently has 67 active cases, with 63 recoveries and four deaths.
Of the 134 cases, 88 are from Lanao del Sur, 22 from Maguindanao, 21 from Basilan, three from Sulu, and “zero “in Tawi-Tawi.
Pendatun noted that more than a hundred of the total number of cases in BARMM are LSIs and ROFs.
“Before the ‘Hatid Tulong’ program, we only had 12 cases in the BARMM, but we will continue accommodating LSIs and ROFs because we are not only duty-bound but morally bound to do so,” he said.
As of Thursday, the BIATF has accommodated 6,447 LSIs and ROFs in the region.
“We assure that we will follow strict protocols, and these LSIs and ROFs will go directly to our isolation facilities so they will not be exposed to the communities,” Pendatun said.
On Wednesday, BARMM’s Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (BARMM-READI) has set-up tents outside the Cotabato Airport in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao that will serve as waiting area for LSIs and ROFs who are awaiting instructions from their respective local government units and health offices.
5K deportees
The BIATF said it is also preparing for the arrival of some 5,000 deportees from Malaysia.
“We don’t have to worry because we already have agreed with our counterparts in Malaysia to have all the deportees undergo PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing before sending them back to the region,” Pendatun said.
He pointed out that the deportees will be returning to the region by batch every two weeks, with the first batch expected to arrive in the BARMM this week.
“There are 395 deportees in the first batch and they all tested negative for the virus,” Pendatun said.
Minister Naguib Sinarimbo of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government–BARMM has deployed a team to Zamboanga City on Wednesday to facilitate the arrival of the deportees.
MGCQ in BARMM
Meanwhile, the entire BARMM would remain under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) until July 15.
“In Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, since they have high cases, there will be strict local action, meaning we will strictly impose the minimum health standards as per National IATF’s directive,” Pendatun said.
BARMM’s Darul-Ifta also announced the extension of a religious guideline allowing congregational prayers, provided that only 50 percent of the total capacity of the mosque shall be utilized, prayer should not exceed 30 minutes, and the minimum health standards are followed. (PNA)
