THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with the assistance of the Philippine Navy, has sent home Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 50 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) to Basilan province, an official said.
Lawyer Raissa Jajurie, Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) minister, said the LSIs are among the first batch of the 405 LSIs, who will be sent home to the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa).
Jajurie said that the 50 LSIs tested negative for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and have completed the 14 days quarantine in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
Jajurie said the remaining 355 BaSulTa-bound LSIs who completed their 14 day quarantine period, and after following health protocols, will be sent home the soonest possible time.
The 405 LSIs, who came from Manila, were originally bound for BaSulTa but were rerouted to Cagayan de Oro City on July 7.
BARMM hired 17 buses to take them to Zamboanga City, which should have been the nearest port of entry to BaSulTa areas.
However, due to circumstances beyond the control of BARMM, the buses had to be rerouted to Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
Upon their arrival in Maguindanao, BARMM has ensured their safety and welfare. They immediately underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
The MSSD has been providing them with daily hot meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee and drinking water.
The LSIs were attended by four MSSD workers, who have also been staying 24/7 at the isolation facilities in Maguindanao, to provide psycho-social support and modified camp management.
Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) minister, who represented Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, stressed during Wednesday's sending off ceremony that BARMM will continuously help the LSIs and ensure their safe return to their respective provinces.
“It's important that we keep the spirit of looking after the welfare of each one,” Sinarimbo said, adding that it is the duty of the regional government to help its constituents especially in this time of the pandemic.
Jajurie said that it is not only one agency that helped in sending home the LSIs but to include the soldiers and Philippine Navy.
The MSSD and BARMM-READI (Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence) provided P5,000 cash assistance to each of the LSIs, hygiene kits, and relief goods including 25 kilos of rice. (SunStar Zamboanga)