THE Philippine Consulate General in Macau has called on Filipinos living and working in the Chinese special administrative region not to politicize the government order requiring them to undergo daily COVID-19 tests for a limited period of time.
In a statement issued late Saturday, Consul General Porfirio Mayo Jr. said the order was purely a health measure and not racist that should be politicized.
Last week, health authorities in Macau ordered Filipinos in the territory to have themselves tested from July 22 to 24 as Macau deals with the worst outbreak of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
The order earned the ire of some members of the Filipino community, who branded the move as racially offensive.
However, the consulate chastised those who criticized the order, insisting that it was a “purely health issue.”
“To put this issue to rest, the Philippine Consulate General has expressed its agreement to the findings shared by the Macau Health Bureau that necessitates the issuance of a directive to our nationals in Macau,” the consulate said.
“This is the same directive that in the past has asked specific nationals from neighboring countries to undergo the same emergency health measure. This has worked before. And yet, at that time, no one has bothered to raise the same issue of discrimination being raised now,” the consulate added.
The consulate added that such a measure in the past against other foreign nationals was successful.
“Are we Filipinos better than our sisters and brothers from our neighboring countries just because we have a significant number in Macau?” the consulate said.
There are around 30,000 Filipinos living and working in Macau.
Authorities in Macau early this year also issued similar orders directed against migrant workers from Vietnam, Nepal and Myanmar.
Early this year, Macau directed migrant workers from Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam to get tested regularly for a limited period.
With 171 Filipinos earlier testing positive for coronavirus, the consulate called on Filipinos to abide by health regulations and cooperate with local authorities.
“The Filipino community and other migrant communities belong to the larger society of Macau now facing a serious threat. Let us all be part of the solution and provide our support and cooperation in fulfilling our role to help overcome this clear and present danger,” the consulate added.
About 90 percent of Macau’s 600,000 residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but health authorities have strictly adhered to the Beijing zero-COVID mandate, which seeks to curb any outbreak of the virus at almost any cost, including a stringent lockdown.
