MANILA – Thankful and happy.
This was the feeling of some of the 150 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who were sent back to their hometowns in the Bicol region on Saturday morning via a Philippine National Railways train, through the Duterte administration’s “Hatid Tulong” initiative.
Aside from the free transportation back to their home province, they were also given cash assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a bag of groceries, and food for their trip.
France Avila was traveling with her three children aged eight, seven, and one. They visited her husband in Las Piñas to spend a two-week vacation but got stuck when the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was declared in the National Capital Region to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak.
“Kaming mag-iina, pinupuntahan namin ang asawa ko dito para magbakasyon, pag walang klase sa Bicol. Mga two weeks lang. Namimili rin (kami) ng gamit ng mga bata. Tapos, umuuwi na kami sa Bicol. Kaso nung March, hindi na kami nakauwi kasi nag-lockdown na. Kasama ko ang mga bata kasi hindi nakakauwi ang papa nila. Dun sa Bicol nag-aaral ang mga bata (My children and I usually come to Manila during the school break and stay for about two weeks. I bring the kids along because my husband rarely goes home to Bicol, where the children study. We shop here and then, we return to Bicol. But in March, we got stuck because of the lockdown),” France said.
She said she was very thankful to the government for being given priority under the “Hatid Tulong” program because they would finally be able to go home.
”Inasikaso kami talagang mag-iina. Hindi po kami pinapabayaan. Nag-text po ako, tapos three days tinawagan na agad ako kasi priority daw kami dahil may mga bata. Ang binigay sa amin, dahil may kasama akong tatlong bata, PHP5,000. Tapos may mga pagkain kami, lalo na para sa mga bata (They attended to our needs. I sent them a text message and after three days, I received a call. They said that we were prioritized because I have children. We were given PHP5,000 plus food, especially for the kids).”
Upon arrival at the PNR station on Friday afternoon, all the “Hatid Tulong” beneficiaries were subjected to a rapid test for Covid-19.
This is to make sure that the LSIs are negative of the virus for their safety and that of their families when they arrive in Bicol.
PNR employees continuously reminded the LSIs to follow safety protocols, observe physical distancing, wash and disinfect their hands, and always wear their face masks.
Lost their jobs due to lockdown
Mary Anne Cynthia Nieves, another LSI, was relieved that she would finally be able to go home to Sipocot, Camarines Sur.
Mary Anne recalled that she wanted to go home before the lockdown was imposed. She was employed as a “kasambahay” together with her husband.
“Kaso nung mag-lockdown, nagkatanggalan sa trabaho. Tapos wala na kaming matirahan (When the lockdown was imposed, we lost our jobs and had nowhere to go),” she said. “Buti na lang may kababayan kami sa Caloocan na pumayag na makitira muna kami sa kanya pansamantala. Ang hirap ng sitwasyon namin. Buti na lang may ganito palang programa ang gobyerno (It’s good that a townmate of ours took us temporarily into his home in Caloocan. Our situation was very difficult. It’s good to know that the government has this program).”
Mary Anne thanked the government for helping bring back stranded individuals in Metro Manila to their home province.
“Nakakatulong po masyado ito (sa) katulad namin na gustong-gusto na naming umuwi, dahil tulad nitong na-lockdown kami dito at wala kaming trabaho (This program is such a big help to us who really want to go home, especially in our case, there’s a lockdown and we are unemployed),” she said. “Nag rapid test din kami kaya hindi na kami natatakot umuwi (We also took the rapid test, that is why we are no longer afraid to go home).”
Like Mary Anne and her husband, Mark Denver Sabinorio came to the city for work.
Sabinorio was working for a factory in Valenzuela. He had just returned from a vacation in January when several weeks later, the lockdown was imposed.
“Kakaunti pa lang ang naipon ko. Magta-tatlong buwan na kaming walang trabaho kaya napilitan ako na mag apply dito sa ‘Hatid Tulong’ (I had little savings. I have been jobless for almost three months, so I applied in ‘Hatid Tulong’),” he said.
Although they would undergo a 14-day quarantine when they arrive in Bicol, Mark Denver said that is fine with him.
He said people should follow the health protocol because it is for their own good, “para siguradong wala akong madalang virus sa aking pamilya (to be sure that I do not infect my family).”
Mark Denver said he was thankful for all the assistance extended to them by the government.
“Wala akong ginastos kahit magkano kasi libre na po lahat, pati po pagkain. May binigay po sila na kaunting grocery. Nabigyan din kami ng DSWD ng PHP2,000. Yun po yung assistance nila sa amin para may dalhin din po kami pag-uwi namin sa pamilya namin (I did not spend a single centavo. Everything is free. They also gave us some groceries and the PHP2,000 cash assistance from the DSWD, so we would have something for our families),” he said.
Stranded student
Because of the lockdown, many students temporarily staying in the NCR were unable to go back to their families in the provinces.
Bryan Resoco, a student at the Batangas State University, was in Manila for his on-the-job training at the University of the Philippines in Diliman but was stuck when the ECQ was declared.
Since he was only renting a small space in an apartment, he did not have a television. It was his father in Bicol who informed him of the “Hatid Tulong” program.
“Nakita po ng tatay ko sa balita. Wala kasi kaming TV sa apartment. Sinabi ng tatay ko sa akin, may nakapaskil na number. Nag-text ako dun, tapos ayun, nasama ako sa listahan (My father saw it in the news — I did not have a television set in the apartment. My father gave me a number and I texted it. Somebody called me up to inform me that I was included in the list),” Bryan narrated.
During the time that he was in Manila, he was in constant touch with his family back home who wanted to make sure that he was fine and safe.
“Masaya po ang mga magulang ko na merong ganitong programa ang gobyerno at dahil dito makakauwi na ako. Nakakatulong po siya lalo na ngayon wala pong ibang paraan ng transportasyon (My parents are very happy with this government program, through which I could now go home. It is a big help, especially now that there is no available transportation going to the province),” Bryan said.
Travel time from Manila to Bicol, according to a PNR staff, would be about 12 hours.
The PNR employees assured that their passengers would be provided with food for a comfortable trip.
As soon as they arrive in their respective provinces, these “Hatid Tulong” beneficiaries would be isolated for 14 days by their respective local government units to ensure that they are Covid-19-free.