‘Sweeper plane’ to fetch foreign tourists stranded in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY –– A Philippine Airlines (PAL) “sweeper plane” will fly in on Saturday at the Legazpi Domestic Airport to unload medical supplies and fetch several foreign tourists stranded in Bicol after Luzon was placed on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) last March to avert the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Erwin Montas, PAL Legazpi branch manager, said the special flight was commissioned to bring in medical supplies and accommodate in their return flight, several foreign nationals, particularly from Australia and Canada, reportedly stranded in Bicol due to the lockdown.

Montas said in a phone interview that a PAL Q400 passenger aircraft was expected to arrive at the Legazpi airport at 2:10 p.m. from Manila, and depart at 2:30 p.m. for Manila with the stranded foreign tourists.

Montas said the special flight was arranged by the embassies of Australia and Canada after receiving reports that some of their citizens, who were on tour to Bicol, were stuck in the provinces due to the lockdown.

He said as of Friday, 13 foreign nationals have confirmed their flight booking. Of this number, six were Australians, one an American, and the rest were other foreign nationals.

He said under the guidelines, Australian and Canadian nationals, including their dependents, would be given priority, while other foreign nationals would be accommodated provided they present a health certificate indicating that they are COVID-19-free.

Non-Australian and Canadian citizens, aside from their health certificates, should also have confirmed outbound plane tickets within 24 hours, or a hotel booking for those with no outbound plane confirmations beyond the 24 hours.

Rommel Natanuan, chief operating officer of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Bicol, said over 90 foreign tourists, who went to Bicol, were registered in their list of visitors stranded due to the ECQ.

Natanuan said the number might go up as other foreign tourists did not register at their provincial DOT offices.

The DOT in Bicol assisted in locating these foreign nationals, he said.

LZB