Iligan City — A local government unit (LGU) in Lanao del Sur is looking for its residents who were displaced by the Marawi siege to come home.

Vice Mayor Alicqzaman C. Mangata of Taraka town, Lanao del Sur said the LGU will shoulder the transportation, food, and lodging of its residents who want to go home to his town.

Vice Mayor Mangata along with his town’s Municipal Risk Reduction Management Officer, Alnair Comadug; municipal council members; and the 43 barangay captains were visiting the five evacuation centers here to look for their residents and former residents of the town who have settled in Marawi City before the armed conflict erupted.

They announced that they welcome residents and former residents of the municipality to consider residing anew to their locality.

Mangata explained that this measure helps DSWD in decongesting the evacuation centers.

He added that home-based internally displaced persons are also invited to go back to their town.

Should evacuees both home-based and living inside evacuation centers wished to go home, they shall inform DSWD through their camp managers or DSWD Field Office 10 Operation Center at 542 Palao here.

DSWD Field Office 10 Regional Director Nestor Briones Ramos lauded the initiative of the local officials.

Ramos said the move would be of great help to DSWD in reconciling the displaced families to their relatives in their homeland.

The LGU assured DSWD that it will supply the needs of the returning residents for free.

“Unlike here (evacuation center and home-based), they will be provided with individual homes should they decide to return,” Comadug said, adding that, “we want them live back to normalcy.” ###

Oliver Badel Inodeo, DSWD-10