The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) has strongly pushed for the Inter-Agency Task Force to set specific guidelines to define exclusively who the locally stranded individuals (LSIs) are with the surge of returning groups in the provinces.
LPP president and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco stressed that each individual must meet certain requirements to be identified as an LSI.
In an interview over GMA News, Velasco requested the IATF to change the definition of the LSI such that it pertains only to those with families in the receiving provinces.
“Either ‘yung asawa o ‘yung anak o kung single ay ‘yung parents niya atsaka anak (Either the wife or children or if single are the parents and the children (living in the receiving province),” Velasco said.
With this call, Velasco said changing the definition of the LSIs will require them to “stay put’’ in the receiving localities for “a while’’ proposing that they be compelled to remain in the area for at least two months.
He emphasized that these changes will also limit the said LSIs from leaving the provinces.
Velasco noted that the returning LSIs should also take an RT-PCR or rapid test for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as they are only required to have a medical certificate to prove that they were subjected to the 14-day home-quarantine.
The LPP president said they are looking to provide the returnees with jobs and loans amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even with the economic crisis, Velasco assured that the local governments are studying options to determine what jobs to offer to the returning LSIs including the overseas Filipino workers (OFW).
Aside from providing jobs, Velasco said that the provincial government would provide loans to those who want to engage in business.
“Hindi naman ho sobrang laki but tingin po namin ay supisyente naman (The amount might not be that much but we see it as sufficient enough),’’ Velasco concluded.