The Iloilo International Airport will remain closed to direct overseas flights, according to Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.
International flights at the airport in the town of Cabatuan have been suspended since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airport used to cater to direct flights to and from Hong Kong (Mondays, Fridays) and Singapore (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays).
Defensor said he is still hesitant to push for resumption of international flights because of the threat of monkeypox.
Monkeypox, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a “viral disease coming from animals and occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa.”
The country recorded its first monkeypox cases last month. The Department of Health (DOH) said the 31-year-old patient had history of travel abroad.
Defensor said health protocols for monkeypox should be set and implemented first before allowing the reopening of the airport to international flights.
Last week, the governor met with personnel of the provincial government’s Public Employment Service Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA-6) to discuss the protocols for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).IMT
