DILG urges local officials to accept returning residents

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday urged local government units (LGU) not to reject their constituents who are returning home after being stranded in Metro Manila.

Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said locally stranded individuals (LSI) who will be sent home this weekend have medical certificates and travel authorities and have also undergone rapid testing for COVID-19.

He said LGUs may impose their own health protocols, such as COVID-19 tests and quarantine, for returning residents.

"Kung gugustuhin po ng mga mayor na ipa-rapid test ang mga papauwing LSI, desisyon na po 'yan ng mga local government units. Ang sinasabi lang po namin, you may impose whatever health protocols you would like to impose, but please do not stop these LSIs from going home," Malaya said at the Laging Handa briefing.

"Dahil nga po stranded na po sila dito sa Maynila, desperado na po silang makauwi, kailangan po natin silang tanggapin," he said.

He said stranded individuals have the right to go home.

"Ang vigilance po ngayon ay on both ends. Dito po sa Metro Manila, for example, we require the medical clearance certificate and the travel authority, at ipinipaalam po natin sa mga LGUs na papauwiin na sila," he said.

"Pagdating naman po doon sa LGUs, they should also do their own checking. They can conduct a PCR test dito sa mga taong ito, or kaya naman po i-quarantine nila, para makakasiguro sila na ang lahat ng mga stranded natin na papauwi ay hindi makakahawa sa kanilang komunidad," he added.

Malaya said the government has readied 100 buses, three ships, one plane and one train to transport some 4,000 stranded persons to their provinces in Luzon and Mindanao on Saturday and Sunday.

The government has suspended the travel of locally stranded persons to Western Visayas, Cebu Island including Mactan, Eastern Visayas, and the Caraga region.

Malaya said the government is assisting persons affected by the travel suspension. — RSJ, GMA News