The local government unit (LGU) of Tagbilaran will accept returning locally stranded individuals (LSI), overseas Filipino workers (OFW), and authorized persons outside residence (APOR) even during the Christmas season, contrary to reports surfacing on social media.
This was disclosed by City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II in a radio interview on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020 over Newsmakers ug Uban Pa radio program hosted by Chandymar Batoy and Dave Albarado.
The mayor reiterated what he bared in the radio interview regarding a social media statement also posted on the same day as the interview.
The mayor advises the arriving LSI, OFW, and APOR to properly schedule their arrival if they want to get released from quarantine before Christmas time.
The statement comes after “fake” reports saying the city government plans to stop accepting returning city residents and APORs to give some respite to the frontline workers.
The supposed plan is also meant to avoid having any person under quarantine spending the holiday season inside the facility.
The mayor In the interview nixed the idea of suspending the acceptance of the LSIs, OFWs, APORs as the move may only lead to a deluge of returnees or APORs once the suspension is lifted after the holidays.
In addition to this, the mayor also said that those who want to return to the city or those who want enter the city as an APOR have to indicate that they are fine with the prospect of spending the holidays inside the quarantine facilities.
The local chief executive of Tagbilaran revealed that the LGU will try its best to increase the number of free quarantine facilities by December 2020.
An increase in the number of quarantine facilities would mean that the city can absorb more returning Tagbilaranons who need to be placed under quarantine.
The mayor reported that there are around 3,443 LSI, OFW, APOR who have returned to the city as of Friday.
Meantime, during the Capitol press conference on Friday, provincial administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto admitted that there are some LGUs which are planning to suspend the acceptance of LSI, OFW and APOR during the holidays.
Pioquinto has promised the media to provide the latter with a list of towns which are planning to suspend accepting the LSIs, OFWs, and APORs after the press conference on Friday.
As of press time, the request for the list has not yet been released by Capitol sources.
Nonetheless, the provincial administrator said that any LGU wishing to suspend accepting LSIs, OFWs, or APORs needs to get a clearance or permission from the regional Inter Agency Task Force (RIATF).
City to accept LSIs, OFWs, APORs during X’mas season
