DSWD, other agencies working to repatriate 5,300 Filipinos from Sabah

DSWD, other agencies working to repatriate 5,300 Filipinos from Sabah
Charissa Luci-Atienza July 6, 2020 https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/06/dswd-other-agencies-working-to-repatriate-5...

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public on Monday, July 6 that it is continuously coordinating with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other concerned agencies and local government units (LGUs) to facilitate the transfer of all 5,300 Filipino returnees from Sabah, Malaysia to their respective home provinces, and provide them the “appropriate” assistance.

The assurance was made after over 300 returnees from Sabah arrived at Bongao Port, in Tawi-Tawi last Friday.

“For transferees with registered addresses outside of the main drop-off points, DSWD and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have also coordinated with concerned local government units (LGUs) to facilitate their transfer and provide appropriate assistance, including referral for proper accommodation or health facilities, when necessary,” it said in a statement.

The two identified drop-off points are Tawi-Tawi province and Zamboanga City.

The DSWD said the arrival of Filipino transferees from Sabah will be in batches to ensure the strict observance of the government’s health protocol against COVID-19.

It said the returning Filipinos from Sabah have to undergo the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test before being allowed to board the ship and are compelled to follow the social distancing policy while on board.

“DSWD assured that only those who tested negative of the RT-PCR will be allowed to be brought to Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga City as the main drop-off points,” it said.

The DSWD said it has been in touch with the local executives of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi (BASULTA) provinces and the city government of Zamboanga City for the arrival of the returnees.

It also cited its close partnership with the members of the Inter-Agency Task Group Western Mindanao for the Management of the Returning Filipinos (IATGWM-MREFS) to fully assist the returnees.

“The Department will assess the emotional state of the transferees in terms of their anxiety and stress level using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21 assessment tool. The result of the assessment will be useful to gauge other psycho-social interventions that they need,” it said.

“Likewise, DSWD, through its Field Office IX, will provide family food packs, sleeping kits, and hygiene kits to all the transferees,” it added.

The DSWD said aside from its P39 million budget earmarked to assist the returness, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Ministry of Social Services will also grant them financial assistance.

In a virtual press briefing last Thursday, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said the agency has allocated P39 million to provide assistance to returning Filipinos from Sabah, Malaysia.

The DSWD noted that the members of IATGWM-MREFS are expected “to prepare a long-term plan for the integration of the transferees in their respective communities.”

Aside from DSWD and DILG, other members of the task force include the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine, Philippine Ports Authority, Department of Transportation-Maritime Industry Authority, Department of National Defense, National Intelligence Coordinating Authority, Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command, Philippine National Police, Department of Foreign Affairs, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs, Office of Civil Defense, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Coast Guard, and the BARMM Ministries of Social Services and Development, Interior and Local Government, and Health and Transportation.

The National Task Force on COVID-19 (NTF COVID-19) had created the IATGWM-MREFS to facilitate the swift return of the overseas Filipinos from Sabah.