Bontoc, Mountain Province – Eighty two residents of this town who were stranded in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet since the placement of the entire Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) on March 16, 2020 were able to come home on May 13, 2020 under the Oplan Suma-ar Program of Bontoc and will soon be united with their families after completion of the 14-day quarantine.
The Oplan Suma-ar Program of Bontoc is the localized “Balik Probinsya” of the national government and conceptualized by the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) even before the the Balik Probinsya. The Oplan is first in Mountain Province which the other municipalities followed or adopted.
Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (MLGOO) Lourdes Claire Peel presented the idea to Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey in anticipation of the influx of returning Bontoc residents in case the ECQ will be lifted. Since the placement of Luzon under ECQ and later Mountain Province’s being placed in a more relxed General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status, there have been persistent clamor of Bontoc constituents stranded in other places specifically students, workers, and applicants for them to allowed to come home to Bontoc.
Mayor Odsey immediately agreed with the proposal and convened the Municipal Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) to plan the repatriation effort. This town shall undertake the transportation of stranded residents in Baguio City-Benguet area who will register in the Oplan Suma-ar Program, provided that they agree to be quarantined for 14 days, their families shall provide their food during the period, and they comply with the GCQ and LGU protocols.
Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey said that the success of the repatriation was due to the assistance and support of the City Government of Baguio and Municipal Government of La Trinidad under the leadership of City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Mayor Romeo Salda, respectively. Also, Benguet State University (BSU) President Feliciano Calora, Jr., approved the request of the Bontoc LGU for the utilization of the BSU Parking Area at Strawberry Farm as the pick-up point for the repatriates stranded in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Municipal Health Officer Dr. Diga Kay Gomez and Development Management Officer IV Clint Gil Ildefonso of the Department of Health (DOH) –Provincial Office coordinated with their health counterparts for the issuance of Health Declaration Certificates of the first batch of repatriates.
The repatriates were triaged by the midwives and were ferried by the barangay officials to the barangay-designated and BHS-accredited quarantine facilities. All other repatriates were brought to the basement of the Municipal Capitol where they were triaged by the staff of the Rural Health Unit (RHU) and those employed under the Nurse Deployment Program of the DOH.
The 82 repatriates are now undergoing the 14-day quarantine period at LGU-identified and/or accredited quarantine facilities and isolation areas. Prior to the repatriation day, 127 individuals have confirmed to the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) their interest to avail of the Oplan Suma-ar Program and were able to fill -up the online registration form. However some of them did not appear during the repatriation day and opted to stay where they were.
As of press time, the Bontoc LGU-identified quarantine facilities have a total of 56 bed capacities which are now being utilized by the first batch of repatriates.
The repatriates in the outskirt barangays of Bontoc are undergoing 14-day quarantine in the barangay-designated and BHS-accredited quarantine facilities including vacant houses certified and accredited after inspection and assessment by Barangay Health Stations in consonance with Department of Health guidelines.
For some repatriates residing in central barangays of Bontoc, they are undergoing the 14-day quarantine in houses certified and accredited by RHU in consonance with DOH guidelines.
The Repatriation Team who travelled to La Trinidad, Benguet and Baguio City are MLGOO Lourdes Claire Peel, Administrative Officer IV Oliver Gacusana and Nurse I Achilles Feckleng, Jr. who are both staff of the RHU, and Clarence Dalog who volunteered to ferry the team using his private vehicle.
Meanwhile, for stranded Bontoc residents in other places, received cash assistance of P1, 500.00 each. **Alpine L. Killa ,Bontoc –LGU
