Stranded laborers rescued while walking home to Bicol

MANILA, Philippines — Some 36 construction workers who had been stranded for the past two months in Quiapo, Manila, and were walking home to Daet, Camarines Norte, were stopped on Saturday night by Parañaque City officials who allowed them to stay in the meantime at the barangay hall.

“We saw them walking last night while we were giving away relief [goods],” Barangay San Isidro Chair Noel Japlos told the Inquirer on Sunday.

“It’s good that they passed by here. The soles of their slippers were worn out from walking. They tried to pass along Magallanes Drive in Makati and Bicutan in Taguig but there were checkpoints there so they tried a different way,” he added.

Boyet Ebonia, one of the construction workers, said that they started out on Saturday morning with what little money they had in their pockets, stopping along the way to buy coffee and bread to eat.

“We just want to go home. We don’t have work anymore. We really want to go home to our families,” said the 50-year-old Ebonia.

When word got around of their plight, donations poured in, including relief goods from Mayor Edwin Olivarez and cash donations from people. The city social welfare and development also gave the workers relief packs to bring to their hometown.

Japlos said they had already coordinated with the local government of Daet, who would fetch the workers halfway should they test negative for the new coronavirus disease.