MORE locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) are arriving in North Cotabato as the provincial Task Force Sagip already rescued more than 14,000 Cotabateños.
As of Wednesday, the task force created by Gov. Nancy Catamco to expedite the return of LSIs from various parts of the country where they were stranded due to the enhanced community quarantine, has already served a total of 14,047 Cotabateños.
“We expect more based on the number of those who enrolled with our TF Sagip program,” Catamco said.
They came in via land and air routes under strict health protocols.
Catamco lauded the efforts of all members of TF Sagip for risking their lives while trying to help LSIs be reunited with their families back home.
One of the TF Sagip members, Shane Matthew Piñol, earlier tested positive for COVID-19 due to his exposure to LSIs they fetched at Davao and Gen. Santos. He has already recovered from the disease.
“I salute the sacrifices offered and rendered by our frontliners just to ensure you are safe and eventually be with your families,” Catamco told returning LSIs and ROF as they prepared for reintegration into the province and be with their families.
Despite the fear of and opposition of some leaders to Catamco’s decision to help LSIs return home, she continues the efforts.
“They fear the LSI will bring the virus to the province,” Catamco said.
“I cannot see myself refusing the return of my kababayans during this pandemic,” she said in statement during the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 where she urged other governors to do the same.
“Nobody will help them there or wherever they are stranded, I want to see them alive even if we spend a big budget (rather) than see them dead returning to our province,” she said.
“We asked them or their relatives here to vote for us and now we will not act when they need our help?” she added.
The town of Midsayap has the highest number of LSIs and ROFs who have retired with 1,493 followed by Kidapawan City with 1,223. Recorded number of LSIs and ROFs who have returned to other towns are as follows: Kabacan (1,144), Banisilan (949), Makilala (908), Mlang (882), Pigcawayan (676), Tulunan (651), Pikit (650), Carmen (648), Alamada (638), Pres. Roxas (578), Arakan (561), Libungan (496), Antipas (420), Magpet (420), Aleosan (350) and Matalam (347).
Catamco also lauded the town mayors for immediately establishing their own isolation facilities to accommodate returning LSIs and ROFs.
Meanwhile, North Cotabato Board Member Dr. Philbert Malaluan, speaking for the provincial inter-agency task force, said the provincial government is mulling the establishment of a temporary treatment and monitoring facility for patients with mild illnesses.
“Our plan is to ask the DOH to accredit the M’lang District Hospital as a moderate case hospital and put up two PCR machines there,” Malauan said.
“We have learned our lessons,” Malaluan said. “We used to send swab samples to Southern Philippines Medical Center (in Davao) and RITM or Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and we complained a lot because it takes two weeks for results to arrive.”
“It is s better that we have our own facilities in M’lang,” Malaluan said. (Edwin O. Fernandez)
