After almost 2 years (inclusive of 1.5 years in a pandemic), I travelled back to the Philippines as an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) and these are what I have noted which can serve as reference for other OFWs who wish to go back home during the pandemic.

1. You are not required to present negative Covid test result prior to boarding.

As of this writing, air travellers to Philippines are not required to present a negative Covid test report before departure. PCR test will be done on the 7^th day of your quarantine.

2. You will be quarantined whether you are fully vaccinated or not

Unless you are approved by the government of a shortened quarantine, you need to serve 14 days quarantine irrespective of your vaccination status. As a standard, you will be required to serve 10 days quarantine in a government accredited quarantine facility plus 4 days home quarantine which will be managed by your respective LGU.

3. You are not allowed to choose your quarantine facility
OWWA provides its members free stay in a quarantine facility, but you are not allowed to choose. This will only be assigned just before you exit the airport at the OFW counter.
WARNING: Going on a quarantine takes a toll on our mental health. You need to be comfortable where you will be locked up for 10 days. This could mean a comfortable bed, nice bathroom, microwave, coffee maker and strong wifi connection that can only be provided by 5-star hotels. So, if you are particular about all these, please do yourself a favour by just booking your preferred quarantine hotel instead. It may be very costly, but nothing can be more expensive in exchange of our mental health. Please do remember that you should only book from the Bureau of Quarantine approved hotels.

4. Not all forms given at check-in counter and in the plane are required
Save yourself some stress and do not cram to fill up all the forms that will be given to you. Ask which ones are only REQUIRED. Primarily, it will only be the health declaration form and arrival card. That’s it! Also, do not waste your time and data downloading some tracing app as well because as of this writing, it is not in use!! And if there is anything that is important for you to fill up then it would be the One Health Pass form that you need to fill up online prior to departure. Ensure that you fill up all fields including your seat number. This will save you some waiting time upon arrival.

5. Ensure to pack for your essential items like medicines, toiletries, and comfort foods
BOQ has different mandates to the quarantine facilities. 5 star hotels are not allowed to have their guests have deliveries while those of a lower category are allowed to. To be honest, I don’t understand the logic behind this, but it is for another topic. So, make sure you allocate some space in your luggage to pack some stuffs that you think you cannot live without in the next 10 days.

6. You may want to pre-arrange for your pickup and transportation to go home
To ensure a stress-free return home, better arrange for your own transportation. Know if there is curfew during your quarantine period so that you can arrange to be picked up once the curfew is off for the day. For sure you will be dying to get out of quarantine so you would want to get out as early as you can on the last day of your quarantine!

Epiphany de Leoni: Our mental health, especially during quarantine, is priceless but paying for your own quarantine can be pricey too! Before you travel back to the Philippines, weigh in between taking your chance to depend on the government for assistance or spending the extra money to ensure your comfort and sanity.