Residents from Davao who were stranded in Clark due to travel restrictions imposed by the government have finally returned home on Monday, May 4.
Through the efforts of the Davao City local government, Department of Tourism (DOT), Office of Civil Defense Region III, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Air Asia, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), and the Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corporation (LIPAD), the 42 individuals—half of whom are returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)—were transported out of Clark International Airport via a chartered flight.
During their two-month stay in Clark, the 42 individuals were provided free accommodation at The Mansion Hotel in Clark, as well as free meals and internet connection, and medical assistance.
“We share the same joy with them, now that they’re finally reuniting with their families and loved ones. It was a pleasure to have provided help to our stranded passengers during this difficult time,” says Vince Dizon, BCDA President and CEO and newly-appointed Deputy Chief Implementer Against COVID-19.
The passengers who have arrived in Davao City were required to undergo mandatory testing, and will be given certification as proof that they have undergone the test, as required by the local government before allowing them access in their respective residences.
The chartered flight has also brought home 40 Luzon residents who were stranded in Davao City. The travelers were also required to undergo rapid testing at the We Heal As One Center–ASEAN Convention Center, and will stay there as they await the test results. There are 16 personnel at the facility who will provide 24/7 medical assistance.
The establishment of We Heal As One Centers in Clark is part of the national government’s strategy to “locate (trace and test), isolate, and cure” suspected COVID-19 patients to reduce community spread of the disease and decongest hospitals. All quarantine centers are air-conditioned, have access to free internet connection, free meals for patients and frontiners, and round-the-clock medical care.
Meanwhile, 143 stranded passengers remain at The Mansion Hotel in Clark as they await the lifting of the quarantines imposed in their respective destinations.