Palace on exodus of locally stranded individuals: Bigla na lang nangyari

Malacañang on Tuesday admitted that it was not able to prepare assistance for individuals who got stranded in Metro Manila due to the two-month community quarantine policy implemented to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

“Iyong mga locally stranded individuals po kasi, ito po ay something na bigla na lang nangyari, di po gaya ng [pagdating ng] OFWs na napaghandaan natin,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over Unang Hirit.

“Siyempre po, iyong Balik Probinsiya, iba pa ‘yun,” he added.

Roque was referring to the pet project of Senator Bong Go, which offers cash assistance to head of families residing in Metro Manila who want to go back to the provinces and earn a living there. Beneficiaries of the Balik Probinsiya program were not required to undergo a COVID-19 test.

The government last week temporarily suspended the dispatch system of the Balik Probinsya program to give priority to stranded individuals and OFWs who want to return to their home provinces.

A mandatory COVID-19 test was not initially administered on locally stranded individuals -- termed LSIs by the government -- but Roque said that this policy will have to change to prevent the possibility of LSIs bringing COVID-19 to their provinces.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implemented Carlito Galvez, Jr. also earlier said that 66 new COVID-19 cases in Region 8 were LSIs from Metro Manila.

“Sinisikap po natin ngayon na lahat ng locally stranded individuals ay mabigyan ng RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) o ng rapid test bago pauwiin para hindi po sila maging potensiyal na makapanghawa ng sakit,” Roque said.

At least 764 of LSIs who camped out under the NAIA Expressway waiting for a flight home have since been sent by the government to Villamor Air Base Elementary School and to the Philippine State College of Aeronautics. Of the 764, 379 have been given transportation assistance, according to Roque. --KBK, GMA News