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Stranded passengers to stay at PPA multi-purpose hall while waiting for resumption of trip to provinces
The Philippine Port Authority allowed Tuesday the stranded passengers to stay inside its multi-purpose hall while waiting for the resumption of their trips to the provinces.
“‘Yung sa mga hindi makakabalik sa kanilang pinanggalingan, nilipat natin sa multi-purpose hall ng PPA at diyan na muna sila mamamalagi habang naghihintay ng panibagong byahe,” Jay Santiago, PPA general manager, said in an interview over Dobol B sa News TV.
He said the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and private organizations are helping them provide for the needs of the stranded passengers.
“Sila ay inaasikaso natin sa tulong ng Philippine Red Cross at ng ibang pribadong NGOs, tulad ng pagkain at personal kits,” he said.
He added if the PPA multi-purpose hall will be filled, the PRC offered to bring the other stranded individuals to its premises.
“Ang sinasabi natin as much as we can, ia-accommodate natin sila. Nag-alok na rin ang Red Cross na ire-relocate sila,” he said.
Despite this, Santiago said some of the stranded passengers refuse to go to the multi-purpose hall fearing that they might miss their trip.
“May ibang ayaw maniwala na walang biyahe, ayaw umalis sa North Harbor at naghihintay,” he said.
Over the weekend, passengers camped outside North Harbor after they were barred from entering the port due to lack of negative swab testing result, a new requirement asked from them by 2Go.
Some of the passengers were allowed to board their ships after authorities clarified that a swab test is not yet a requirement to travel
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Others were still barred from entering North Port Passenger Terminal after the government issued a moratorium on the travel of locally stranded individuals going to Western Visayas, Cebu Island including Mactan, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga region.
In its Facebook post, 2Go listed the places where LSIs are not allowed to travel.
Seeing the situation of stranded passengers, GMA’s Unang Hirit distributed food and mats to the affected individuals.
Among them were Marlon Babor, 42, who was supposed to go to Negros Oriental, together with 44 others.
“Nung Linggo pa kami, pauwi sana kami ng Negros Oriental, meron kaming ticket, 44 kaming lahat. Nananawagan ako sa local government ng Bacolod, sana matanggap n’yo na kami makadaan dyan, susunduin naman kami ng LGU namin sa Ayungon, Negros Oriental,” he said.
“Wala na kaming trabaho mula nang magka-lockdown, nagbabalot kami ng mangga. Gusto na lang namin makauwi,” he added.
Six-month pregnant Elmilyn Monsanto also said she just wanted to go home to Butuan.
“Wala na akong trabaho. ‘Yung ticket namin nung June 27 pa pero iniwan na kami ng barko kasi hinanapan nila kami ng swab test. Wala na kaming makain, walang matirhan, gusto kong umuwi, ayaw akong pauwiin,” she said.—AOL, GMA News