Expecting to get a free ride back home on the day regular commercial flights were to resume on Thursday, more than a thousand stranded Filipinos in Manila trooped to the premier gateway only to be told that they were victims of “fake news.”
The first few hundred returning overseas Filipino workers, who have been quarantined in the National Capital Region (NCR), opted to proceed and slept on card board and blankets at the curbside of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) as early as Wednesday night, hoping they can board a Philippine Airline (PAL) flight back for free to Bohol, or Mindanao.
“Somebody told us there will be a free flight bound for Mindanao on board Philippine Airlines,” said Flor Alonzo, who hails from Cotabato.
She said she heard from her neighbor of a free flight being offered so she rushed to Naia, having been stranded in Cavite for the past four months.
“I am so eager to see my children,” she said in Filipino.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) distributed packed lunch and fried chicken meals to all the hopeful passengers waiting for the free ride.
Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) General Manager Ed Monreal sent his policemen and personnel bearing placards reminding the crowd to observe social distancing. The appeal fell on deaf ears, even as they were told that there are no available free flights for the day.
The OWWA told the migrant workers they would be advised if there will be free flights in the future.
Those armed with tickets and with Covid-19 certificates were allowed to enter the airport for their flight to Bohol.
Meanwhile, budget carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) mounted special flights from Manila to General Santos, Cagayan de Oro and Naga that started Wednesday, bringing stranded Filipinos to their respective provinces, while those that were caught by the lockdown in the provinces were brought to Manila.
Charo Lagamon, CEB director for Corporate Communication said that the flights they have mounted are not for leisure travels. The passengers were told to check the guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and with the local governments of their destination for the required documents.
She said only guests wearing a face mask and with valid travel documents the destination should be under enhance general community quarantine, and with the permission of the local government unit.
Lagamon and PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna said, “the situation is very fluid and passengers are requested to be patient, as we restart our operations.”
“Rest assured that we are committed to remain agile in adapting to the evolving situation. We urge you to keep posted through our Facebook page and web site for updates and announcements.”
PAL and CEB reminded passengers that only one carry-on luggage is allowed inside the cabin. The luggage should be 56 cm x 36 cm x 23 cm, which can be easily carried and stowed in the overhead bins.
“For your own peace of mind, bring your personal hand sanitizers with maximum alcohol content of 70 percent and not bigger than 100 ml,” the carriers said.
Passengers were also advised to be at the airport three hours before domestic flights estimated time of departure.
Both carriers’ pilots and cabin crew have undergone rapid antibody tests before they are assigned to operate flights, Lagamon and Villaluna added.
No free flights–Monreal
The management of Naia, meanwhile, appealed to what it termed “locally stranded individuals,” or LSIs, wanting to go back to their provinces, “not to proceed to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport unless they have confirmed flights.”
Monreal admitted the terminal was overwhelmed on Thursday when thousands of LSIs came thinking there are free airline flights to the provinces.
Monreal said he was told the LSI obeys a supposed leader who brought them to Terminal 2 because there was a flight that would bring them home to various parts of Visayas and Mindanao.
The LSIs refused to leave the terminal, saying they will wait no matter how long a flight becomes available.
Monreal said he is concerned that the LSIs’ continued and prolonged stay outside the airport building pose risk to their health.
He appealed to other LSIs to make sure they have confirmed booking and valid tickets for the day to avoid going through the same experience.
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