The Philippine Consulate General in Macau says the daily COVID-19 testing requirement temporarily imposed on Filipinos is 'purely a health issue,' shooting down claims that the policy is discriminatory.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 23) — The Philippine Consulate General in Macau on Saturday said the daily COVID-19 testing requirement imposed on Filipinos residing there is a preventive measure against the virus and should not be politicized.

The consular office issued the statement after some people have raised their concerns over the matter, insinuating that the policy is discriminatory.

"The Philippine Consulate General, at the outset of this directive, has issued its position taking the directive as purely a health issue. And yet there are those who remain focused on politicizing this," it wrote.

The government of Macau on Thursday ordered all Philippine passport holders to undergo a nucleic acid COVID-19 test for three consecutive days from July 22 to July 24.

This was after Filipinos accounted for nearly 10% of all infections logged during the ongoing surge in the area, the consulate said.

"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 office said.

It added that the same emergency health measure — covering other foreign nationals — has been imposed before.

"This has worked before, and yet, at that time, no one has bothered to raise the same issue of discrimination being raised now," its statement read.

According to the Macau government, there are around 26,400 overseas Filipino workers in the area, half of them employed as household workers who are staying in their own flats under a "live-out" arrangement.