Davao City will open its borders to family members and relatives so they could fetch their stranded loved ones and return home. But they need to leave within 12 hours.
In an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio on Saturday, Generose Tecson, City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) head, said private vehicles can enter the city on May 8 once the proper protocols are in place.
“We still have to set the borders for this, and prepare doctors who will man the borders,” she said.
With this, only one driver and one assistant will be allowed inside the car.
To be allowed to enter the city, individuals with private cars should send an email to the CTOO with their vehicle type, plate number, name of the driver and/or assistant, name and address of stranded person, the entry and exit points based on their routes and the date of their arrival.
A confirmation letter will be given to them by the CTOO, which they will present to the authorities at the border checkpoints.
“You should do it several days before you planned to fetch your companions here in Davao City. Without this confirmation letter, you cannot enter the city. This letter will be presented at the entry points indicated in your details,” she said.
She also reminded these individuals that they cannot change their pick-up routes from the ones that they submitted to the city government. They are only allowed to enter from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 8, Tecson said.
Sweeper Flights
Meanwhile, Tecson said two sweeper flights are scheduled to fetch stranded individuals outside the city on May 4 and May 6.
On May 4, the outbound flight will transport individuals from Clark City in Pampanga. On May 6, stranded individuals in Manila will be returned to Davao City. The sweeper flights will also bring Clark and Manila passengers who are stranded here.
To board the flight, passengers should indicate their name, birth date, gender, mobile number, email address, and address. They should communicate with the Davao City Stranded Persons Database Center (DCSPDC) for the request.
Passengers will be provided with a confirmed email stating their online plane tickets and information a day before their flight. However, overseas contract workers and those who are already on the list will be prioritized.
“When they (fetched passengers) got here, they will immediately be placed under mandatory quarantine upon arriving in the city and will be tested. They must be submitted to the City Health Office (CHO) for a recommendation on what to do,” she said.
Tecson said that a 400-seater plane from Cebu Pacific will transport stranded individuals in Manila while a 162-seater aircraft from AirAsia will be transporting stranded individuals from Clark City.
For those wishing to leave Davao City, they need to present a health certificate and the letter of acceptance from their respective local government units.
“It is better that they should coordinate with their LGUs because there might be a possibility that they might be stranded once they reach their destination or they may be immediately placed under quarantine,” she said.
As of May 2, the city already assisted more or less 300 individuals to return to their respective homes.
