Stranded individuals wishing to go home to their regions must first obtain an acknowledgement letter from their respective local government units.
Mayor Sara Duterte said the document will serve as proof that they would be allowed entry in their home province, city, or municipality.
“It is better for individuals stranded (here) in Davao City to acquire (an acknowledgement) so that the processing for them can be fast-tracked if they can get a letter from their mayor that they are going to be accepted in their hometown,” she said.
However, Duterte also bared that the city government is also making the necessary arrangments with the other LGUs so that the stranded individuals can return home.
“Currently, we are arranging with Cotabato City, Zamboanga City, Pagadian (City), and Tacurong (City). These are the areas that we are arranging, so far,” Duterte said.
Davao City is willing to shoulder the expenses of transporting them back to their hometown, as well as any other form of assistance to make their trip safe and comfortable.
“They can leave anytime. But they just need to make sure that they will be accepted by the LGUs they are heading to,” she said. “There are many LGUs that we are asking, and they have requested a list (of individuals) and their usual answer is that they will still have to check if the persons are bonafide residents.”
The city government is only arranging the process of passing through all of the checkpoints on the way back to their hometowns, pointing out that there are areas outside Davao region requiring 14 days of quarantine for those who wish to enter their respective borders.
“So, what we are arranging is for you not to be put on a 14-day quarantine. You can only imagine how exhaustive it is to arrange your return back to your hometowns,” Duterte added.
