450 stranded travelers to leave for Cebu, Iloilo on board PH Navy ship

MANILA, Philippines – At least 450 locally-stranded individuals (LSIs) in Metro Manila are set to leave for Cebu and Iloilo on Monday, June 22, on board a vessel of the Philippine Navy. 

BRP Davao del Sur, the navy’s second amphibious landing dock vessel, will ferry Filipinos who have been waiting for transportation amid the coronavirus pandemic. The passengers already underwent medical screening and were subjected to rapid testing for the coronavirus in Pasay City.

According to Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, the humanitarian mission, which will take 30 hours, will have “the biggest number of LSIs transported in a single voyage by a Navy vessel so far.”

“Your Philippine Navy will continue to exert tremendous efforts in providing support to our fellow Filipinos who are at most risk of the challenges brought by this pandemic,” he said. 

Prior to the upcoming mission, BRP Davao del Sur was deployed in the Middle East for 5 months.

Aside from passengers, the vessel will also bring at least 2,508 boxes of personal protective equipment and medical supplies to the Visayas.

The passengers bound for Cebu and Iloilo are just a few of the many stranded Filipinos in Metro Manila, due to canceled flights. (READ: ‘Walang malapitan’: Stranded ‘probinsyanos’ feel abandoned by Duterte gov’t)

The Philippine Army said it has sheltered more than 400 stranded travelers since June 13. – Rappler.com