At least 54 Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs) in various parts of Cebu have been transported back to their hometowns in Mindanao on Sunday, May 24, through mercy voyages coordinated by several government agencies. | Photos courtesy of OPAV
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said it will investigate reports about local government units taking advantage of the locally stranded individuals (LSIs) by collecting excessive fees for the issuance of the latter’s medical certificate.
An LSI would need a medical certificate as one of the requirements for him to travel to his home province after being stranded due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown declarations.
DILG said they received reports that some LGUs ask up to P3,000 for the issuance of a medical certificate.
Should the reports be true, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said: “It is an injustice to the stranded individuals who just want to go home to their provinces.”
Read: Cebu province launches ‘assistance center’ for Cebuanos stranded in other provinces
The DILG, however, has not prescribed a specific amount for the medical certificate issuance. Año appealed to LGUs to instead release the certification for free since the LSIs will not undergo any laboratory examination.
In the issuance of medical certificates, the LSIs are not required to be tested for COVID-19, whether rapid or PCR, provided that they have no symptoms and that they are not identified as suspected cases.
“Huwag na po nating singilin pa ng pagkamahal-mahal ang ating mga kababayan na gusto lamang makauwi sa kanilang mga probinsiya. Kung puwede ngang libre na lang dahil wala naman lab tests na gagawin. Huwag na natin silang pahirapan as they have suffered enough kaya nga nila hinahangad na makauwi na,” he said.
(Let us not collect excessive fees from our fellow Filipinos who only want to go home to their provinces. If possible, do not charge them for it since there will be no lab tests that will be conducted. Let us not make this difficult for them as they have suffered enough and all they want now is to go home.)
Read: DILG orders PNP to set up help desks for stranded individuals during quarantine
“Gusto nang umuwi ng mga LSI dahil wala na nga po silang pantustos sa kanilang pang-araw-araw dahil sila nga po ay stranded. Kung stranded na nga po sila tapos hihingan pa po natin sila ng napakalaking halaga ay parang wala naman po tayong malasakit,” he added.
(The LSIs wish to go home because they no longer have funds to sustain their daily needs hence, they are stranded. If they are stranded and we still collect excessive fees from them, it shows how we do not have any concern for them.)
The DILG also urged LSIs who were asked to pay excessive fees their medical certificates to report it to the DILG and Philippine National Police (PNP). / dcb