The provincial government will go on a mercy mission to ferry home dozens of Boholanos stranded in Bato, Leyte due to the suspension of sea and air travel to Bohol.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Anthony Damalerio said that they will fetch the around 130 stranded passengers on Saturday or Sunday depending on the availability of a vessel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
“Gi-relay na namo sa Coast Guard na unta ma ready na sa Sabado,” he said.
The stranded Boholanos who are now housed at an evacuation center will be transported to Ubay where they will be held for quarantine.
Damalerio said that Governor Arthur Yap on Friday personally visited the quarantine site to check its safety and comfortability.
According to PCG Eastern Bohol commander Lt. Patrick John Cabasag, the Capitol’s request for a vessel has been relayed to their regional office.
“Ga follow-up na sila [Capitol] sa akoa, naghuwat nalang ta sa instructions sa [region],” he said.
Damalerio stressed that those in Bato are being prioritized by the government considering that they have no house or temporary residence in the town as they came from Metro Manila and were on their way to Bohol when sea and air trips to the province were suspended.
Other Boholanos who have requested for entry into the province are stranded in Cebu or Dumaguete City where they work and have temporary lodging accommodations such as apartments or boarding houses, but those in Bato are staying at an evacuation center.
Prior to the announcement of the mercy mission, the Capitol extended P300,000 aid to the stranded individuals while the office of second district Rep. Aris Aumantedo provided 130 food packs worth P24,000.
According to Bato Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Liza Lecaros, the amount from the provincial government was used to purchase food and basic necessities for the duration of the Boholanos’ stay at the evacuation center.
“Kining tanan namo na gasto mura’g for three days ra mao toy among e-charge namo didto then og kuwangan ra kay di man g’yud to paigo kami na taga LGU Bato mo [puno],” Lecaros said.
The stranded Boholanos left Manila by bus last week to beat the community quarantine enforcement at the National Capitol Region on Sunday and in Bohol on Monday, but they were unable to make it on time.
The community quarantine was already implemented in Bohol when they arrived in Leyte on Monday. (RT)