Gov. Arthur Yap bares that the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) allows Bohol to allow the gradual return of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) to the province subject to its absorbing capacity for quarantine facilities.
Reports say that the governor said the province has now the power to refuse the LSIs if there are no rooms anymore for them in quarantine facilities. As of the moment, the governor said that the province is able to accept up to 5,000 LSIs at any given time. He said that the capacity of Bohol’s total quarantine facilties is about 6,500 beds.
The governor said there is a need to have a buffer for this capacity. This is the reason the capacity limit is pegged at 5,000 beds. The buffer of 1,500 beds is for LSIs who illegally enter Bohol.
This is also for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who opt to stay in the quarantine facilities and are unable to afford to stay in hotels that have been identified as quarantine facilities, according to Kevin Damalerio, Capitol’s information chief.
Earlier, Yap wrote to IATF’s Sec. Carlito Galvez to ask for permission to gradually allow the return of the LSIs. The letter, dated June 25, 2020, was published in the Sunday, June 28, 2020, print edition of The Bohol Tribune.
During the meeting with the mayors on June 24, 2020, the issue on the lack of coordination by LSIs with local government units (LGU) was discussed.
According to Damalerio, while the certificate of acceptance from the LGU is not required, it is still necessary for LSIs.
He added that the LGUs will send the list of LSIs with certificate of acceptance to the shipping companies.
Only LSIs listed by the LGU and given the certificate of acceptance are allowed to purchase ship tickets and take the voyage to Bohol.