By Bonita Ermac
ILIGAN CITY ~ At least 159 Meranaws residing in Lanao del Sur (LDS) -- locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) in Manila -- are reuniting with their families following their return here on Saturday (June 6).
(LDS province/MANILA BULLETIN)
This was after the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur chartered a sweeper flight via Air Asia Z2 8693 to bring them home under the Balik Probinsya Program.
Provincial Information Officer Salma Jayne Tamano said seventeen out of 159 LSIs and ROFs are students taking Islamic courses abroad.
All the passengers arrived safely at Laguindingan Airport at around 2 p.m. Saturday.
Lanao del Sur shuttle buses waited at the airport to transport the LSIs and ROFs to the community quarantine facility in Barangay Emi-Punud in Marawi City, where they underwent triaging and rapid testing prior to being officially turned over to the receiving local government units (LGUs).
The LDS provincial government thanked Mayor Francis Zamora and the city government of San Juan through their City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office chief Saripada 'Tong' Lucman Pacasum II, for the support they gave "to our fellow Meranaos in Metro Manila," in close coordination with the office of Governor Mamintal 'Bombit' Adiong as head of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force against Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).