House commends PH team for assisting Wuhan repatriates

FILE: A team from the DFA is scheduled to fly tonight from Clark to Wuhan City to assist Filipinos to be repatriated from the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV ARD together with a medical team from the DOH. (Photo: DFAPHL/Twitter)

MANILA — The House of Representatives has commended the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) emergency repatriation teams for successfully bringing home 30 Filipinos from China’s Wuhan City, the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

During Wednesday’s plenary session, the chamber adopted House Resolution 711 honoring the heroism, courage, and great compassion of the 10-member Philippine team: Rowell Casaclang, Abdul Rahman Pacasum, and Richard delos Santos of the DFA Health Emergency Response Team; Dr. Neptali Labasan; Dr. Oliver Macalinao; nurses Rowell Divinagracia and Jay Julian; and medical technologist Elmer Collong of the DOH medical team; Mark Anthony Geguera; and Sanny Darren Bejarin of the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai.

The resolution was filed by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez, and Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr.

“These brave individuals not only answered to the call of duty but exhibited a strong sense of compassion for our ‘kababayan’ and nationalism that motivated them to volunteer their services and expertise to undertake this critical mission,” the House leaders said in their resolution.

They described the heroism, courage and empathy of the 10-member team of the Philippine government for fellow Filipinos as truly remarkable, inspiring, and worthy of emulation and recognition.

There are three confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Philippines, all of whom are foreigners, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

There is no evidence yet of local community transmission in the country, health authorities said.

On Thursday, the DOH reported that the total number of admitted persons under investigation (PUIs) for possible infection of Covid-19 went down to 230 from 238 on Wednesday.

A total of 208 PUIs have tested negative and three tested positive for the coronavirus. There are 197 cases pending test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

As of Wednesday noon, (Geneva time), the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 44,730 confirmed cases of Covid-2019 in China and 441 cases outside China.

The WHO said the total number of deaths in China has reached 1,114.