Gov't to bring home students stranded in dorms amid virus lockdown
MANILA, Philippines — The government will assist in bringing home students who have been stranded in dorms and apartments in Metro Manila because of the coronavirus lockdown, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Hatid Estudyante Program aims to help students who are currently stuck in their campuses, apartments and dormitories to return to their hometowns.
Stranded students will be brought to their provinces either through rail, sea, air or bus subject to quarantine guidelines.
“‘Yung mga estudyante na nais umuwi sa kanilang probinsya tutulungan niyang (Duterte) umuwi pero sana makabalik sa Manila kasi nais nating matapos nila ang kanilang pag-aaral,” Roque said.
(The president will help the students who want to go back to their provinces but we’re hoping that they will return to Manila because we want them to finish their education.)
He added that President Rodrigo Duterte will provide assistance to students who intend to go home.
“Magbibigay ang president ng kaunting ayuda sa kanila para makauwi. Sapat ito para sa pamasahe, sa kanilang pagkain habang bumabiyahe at kaunting pabaon,” Duterte’s spokesman said.
The Department of Transportation earlier set up an online platform where students can enrol in the Hatid Estudyante Program.
Even before the government decided to implement the program, the University of the Philippines Los Baños had taken the intitiative to send its stranded students home.
The national government on Tuesday announced that outbreak epicenter Metro Manila, neighboring Laguna province and Cebu City in Central Visayas will be placed under “modified” enhanced community quarantine until May 31.
Regions considered moderate-risk will be under general community quarantine, while low-risk areas will no longer be under community quarantine.
The new coronavirus has so far infected 11,086 people in the Philippines, including 726 deaths.
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