Stranded passengers transferred to 2 schools

BETTER VENUE Stranded passengers who took shelter under the Naia expressway now stay at Villamor Air Base Elementary School. —LYN RILLON

The city government of Pasay said it had now taken in around 461 stranded passengers in two quarantine facilities in the city, more than a week after they began camping out in front of the country’s premier gateway to wait for their flights.

At present, these people are staying at Villamor Air Base Elementary School and Philippine State College of Aeronautics, Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said in a statement.

They’re being fed and provided for by the city government and other civic organizations while they await the schedule of their flights back to their provinces.

Since June 1, hundreds of stranded passengers have camped out in front of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 and under the airport’s elevated expressway.

Most were prospective overseas Filipino workers who booked flights when Manila finally lifted its quarantine restrictions, but their flights were either canceled, or rescheduled.

Rubiano said she had ordered their transfer to the nearby schools where it will be safer for them to temporarily stay.

“As for those who do have tickets, it behooves upon the airlines to announce properly whether there are flight cancellations, or to call the ticket holders to inform them of any changes in schedule,” Rubiano added.

Rubiano quoted Maria Lourdes Agustin, director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region (DILG-NCR), as saying several local government units (LGUs) were still not ready to accept inbound stranded people.

Some Visayas and Mindanao provinces that opened their borders to returning residents saw rising coronavirus cases in their areas, prompting other LGUs to be more cautious of residents going home.

Rubiano said she was in talks with the DILG to at least accept those who have already secured travel passes and medical certificates from their origin cities, so they can arrange for travel accommodations.

The city government also called on other metropolitan cities to accommodate the return of those who came from their areas.