President Benigno Aquino III. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III on Friday asked for understanding from returning Filipino peacekeepers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Ebola-stricken countries, who will be quarantined for 21 days upon their arrival in the country to make sure they are not infected by the deadly virus.
“I ask for the understanding of our peacekeepers, especially their families. For 21 days… they cannot go back to their own homes. We will ask them to go on a vacation in an island where they can relax and rest. This is part of the process established by your government to ensure that the Ebola virus will not enter the country,” Mr. Aquino said in Filipino.
Playing safe
The President attended a media briefing of the Department of Health (DOH) on the government’s preparation against the Ebola virus at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
“I want to be clear. This does not mean that because they will come from a place where Ebola is rampant, they also have the virus. We just have to ensure that they can safely mingle with others,” the President said.
In case of a mandatory repatriation of OFWs working in Ebola-affected countries, the President said the government might consider Corregidor Island as another place for quarantine.
The DOH has a proposed budget of P26 million for preparations against Ebola, including the purchase of protective gears, a sample of which was shown to the President.
Of the 142 peacekeepers under the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), 138 will arrive on Nov. 12 on board a chartered plane.
Island getaway
Of the arriving peacekeepers, 108 are from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), 29 from the Philippine National Police (PNP), and one from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
They will be brought straight to Caballo Island, a military reserve under the control of the Philippine Navy where doctors will monitor their health.
According to Col. Robert Ancan, commander of the AFP Peacekeeping Operations, the other remaining four peacekeepers will follow later since they will travel with some of the equipment they need to bring home.
Ancan said that soon after the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, the Filipino peacekeepers were restricted to the UNMIL camp and did not have contact with any Ebola patient.
Still, the 21-day quarantine period will be mandatory for the returning peacekeepers.
Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy of the DOH said that 126 OFWs had already been quarantined and none of them was tested positive for Ebola.
The staff of 20 public hospitals and 22 private hospitals in Metro Manila had been trained to treat Ebola patients, he said.