First District Representative Edgar Chatto emphasizes the need for decent quarantine and isolation centers in the city and municipalities as locally stranded individuals (LSIs) began to arrive this week
As of Friday afternoon, 383 LSIs arrived in Bohol and more are expected to arrive here in the coming days. The travel ban in relation to the community quarantine in Bohol prevented the LSIs from returning home.
In this connection, Chatto said that to facilitate their return, LSIs are asked to coordinate with their respective local government unit’s (LGU) focal person to facilitate the requirements. This move will pave their way for a return trip to Bohol. In this process, the LSIs need to comply with the protocols set by the provincial government through the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF), which includes a 14-day quarantine upon arrival in the province.
Moreover, Chatto has been inspecting the readiness of quarantine and isolation facilities in the first district of the province. On separate occasions, he dropped by quarantine and isolation centers being set up by LGUs. He inspected these facilities together with mayors and municipal health workers and disaster risk reduction management officers.
Furthermore, Chatto lauded LGUs for working hard in order to address the needs of their respective constituents. His visits allowed him to appreciate response measures put in place by LGUs in the first district.
Chatto said that the isolation center set up in Catigbian town‘s LGU which is led by Mayor Elizabeth Mandin is located at the Dagook Adventure and Tourism Ecopark (DATE Park).
The DATE park is a project of Chatto under the Abatan River Development and was materialized during the time when Chatto first served as congressman for nine years.
It was learned, further, that the park was constructed along with other facilities during Chatto’s term as then chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Tourism.
During that time, other projects included the Village Center in Antequera, the Cortes Main Village Center, Maribojoc Livelihood Center, Antequera Craft Village, and Kawasan Falls Village Center in Balilihan.
It should be noted that the phased repatriation of LSIs is subject to quarantine facility capacities of LGUs. LGUs have been urged by the provincial government to form teams focusing on tasks that involve medical, transport, security, food, and waste disposal
In a related development, outgoing Provincial Emergency Management Administration (PEMA) ground commander Alfonso Damalerio II emphasized the need for synchronized movements of various levels of government for efficiency in the handling of returning LSIs as part of the Governor Yap’s thrust of aggressive prevention against Covid 19.
In this light, Chatto has set up a help desk in his office to assist LSIs and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
This office, Chatto bared, coordinates with the provincial government and with related national agencies regarding our fight against Covid 19 and other matters.