HATID TULONG. Partas buses with thousands of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) arrive at the Matnog port in Sorsogon on Sunday (July 5, 2020). The LSIs will board Roll on Roll off (RoRo) vessels that will bring them to Allen, Northern Samar, where they will proceed by buses to Lipata Port in Antique, Western Visayas. (Photo courtesy of Nonie Enolva)
LEGAZPI CITY – Some 2,000 residents of Mindanao marooned in Metro Manila due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) health crisis have arrived at the Matnog Port in Sorsogon on board 80 passenger buses.
Nonie Enolva, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Bicol spokesperson, in a phone interview, said the 80 Partas buses carrying thousands of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) are now about to board Roll on Roll off or RoRo vessels that will bring them to Allen, Northern Samar and then proceed by bus to Lipata Port in Antique.
“From Lipata Port, the convoy would board another RoRo vessel that would bring 300 LSIs in 15 buses to the port in Cagayan De Oro City, 1,100 LSIs in 40 buses to the port in Davao City and 600 LSIs in 25 buses to the port in General Santos City,” she said.
The Mindanao LSIs left Manila on Saturday night and arrived at Matnog Port Sunday afternoon.
The sending home of thousands of Mindanao LSIs is under the "Hatid Tulong" (formerly Hatid Probinsya) program, a joint undertaking of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Office of Civil Defense, Presidential Management Staff, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines and the national government. (PNA)
