More than 13K people still stranded in Luzon awaiting transportation–Palace exec

Stranded in Manila for months caused by enhanced community quarantine imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Mary Ann Cayog from Davao Oriental cries as she talks to her mother over the phone while waiting for flight outside Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City for more than 3 days on June 10, 2020. She has all the necessary requirements; barangay certificate, medical certificate, travel pass and plane ticket due on June 7 but the flight was cancelled. More than a hundred locally-stranded-individuals were held outside the terminal waiting to board flights bound for Mindanao particularly Davao and General Santos. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — There are over 13,000 stranded individuals in Luzon who are awaiting transportation assistance back to their provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, the head of the government’s “Hatid Tulong” program said Wednesday.

During a televised briefing, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Assistant Secretary Joseph Encobo said these individuals are being clustered into groups to arrange the schedule of their return to provinces.

“Sa ngayon po, base po sa listahan ng Presidential Management Staff, meron po tayong mahigit na 13,000 nasa listahan po na LSIs [locally stranded individuals]. Ito po ay nandito po sa Luzon at sila po’y gustong umuwi sa kanilang probinsya sa Visayas at Mindanao,” Encobo said.

(Right now, based on the list of the Presidential Management Staff, we have more than 13,000 LSIs. They are here in Luzon and they want to return to their provinces in Visayas and Mindanao.)

“Yun po ay dahan dahan nating kino-consolidate, kina-cluster at grouping para mai-ayos po natin ang kanilang schedules at the same time, ma-identify natin ano yung akmang transportasyon para sa kanila,” he added.

(They are being consolidated, clustered and grouped to arrange their schedules and to identify the right transportation for them.)

Some of the stranded individuals are taking temporary shelter at the Villamor Elementary School and Philippine State College of Aeronautics, Encabo said.

Meanwhile, Encobo reported that over 53,000 have already benefited under the “Hatid Tulong” program which provides either land, air or sea transportation to those who got stranded in various areas due to lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Last week, the government’s Balik Probinsya program which seeks to decongest Metro Manila was suspended to prioritize the return of stranded individuals.

JPV