MANILA, Philippines — Stranded persons should coordinate first with their respective local government units (LGUs) to check if there are existing flights going to their hometowns as some airports have not yet revived operations, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Saturday.
“Huwag na kayo pumunta (sa airports) kung wala kayong scheduled flights, bigay niyo numbers niyo kung sang LGUs nakakasakop. Pagsasabihan kayo kung may sweeper flights or flights na available,” Año advised those individuals who got stranded in various areas due to the government-imposed lockdowns during an interview over DZBB.
The DILG chief was asked about the surge of people lingering near airports, as they try to return to their home provinces since the national government eased the lockdown it imposed amid threats of COVID-19.
(Don’t go to airports if you don’t have scheduled flights, just give your numbers to your respective LGUs. They will tell you if there are sweeper flights or available flights.)
Año explained that LGUs were tasked to make arrangements to bring home locally stranded individuals (LSIs).
According to Año, some flights could not be scheduled immediately because some airports are still on limited operations at this time due to the community quarantine.
“Tayo naman tuloy-tuloy ang airport natin iuuwi natin ang mga LSIs. Pero ano ‘yun may pacing ‘yun. Hindi naman kayang biglain ‘yan dahil unang-una sarado pa ‘yung karamihan ng airport natin,” the DILG chief pointed out.
(Our airports will continue to bring home LSIs. But it has pacing. It cannot be done right away because first of all, most of our airports are still closed.
For now, the government’s task force on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic only allowed Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Clark International Airport and airports in Romblon, Legazpi City, Naga City, Cauayan City, Palanan town, and Marinduque to resume operations.
Previous reports said that some 400 overseas Filipino workers and LSIs were forced to stay in front of NAIA to wait for flights going to their respective provinces.