Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4) – Officials will discuss if they can exempt stranded Filipinos from travel bans as Metro Manila and nearby provinces go on a two-week lockdown, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who also represents the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said the body will consider proposals to allow locally-stranded individuals or LSIs from the inter-island travel ban as Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite revert to the modified enhanced community quarantine until August 18.
Thousands of Filipinos who previously flocked to the capital region are now seeking government’s help so that they can return home to their provinces as they face tougher times or have lost their jobs.
Under the “Hatid Tulong” program, LSIs are sent home through buses, planes, or passenger ships to their provinces en masse. This initiative came under fire in July when hundreds of Filipinos filled the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, as chance passengers flocked the stadium together with those with guaranteed seats to travel.
The government has sent home over 10,000 stranded persons as of July, program convenor Rodolfo Encabo told lawmakers last week. An exemption means they can send home more LSIs despite the MECQ in Metro Manila.
The massive crowd led to a disregard of social distancing rules, especially as they sought to sleep and seek shelter when heavy rains hit.
Roque earlier admitted lapses in the implementation of the program, adding that changes will be made to prevent a repeat of the incident. Some local government leaders, however, said the influx of LSIs – sometimes more than they can handle in respective quarantine facilities – caused new infections in select towns and provinces.
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