ByFreddie Velez
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan – A family of eight from Barangay Cabaywa in San Sebastian, Samar will have to wait a little longer before they could go home to their province after the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) of Region 8 temporarily suspended incoming flights Saturday, June 27 due to the spike of coronavirus cases in Eastern Visayas.
The flights would reportedly resume on July 9.
Good Samaritan - Governor Daniel R. Fernando (in white shirt) meets with the displaced family of eight at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center, City of Malolos, Bulacan. Also in photo is Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Rowena Joson-Tiongson (second from right). (Photo courtesy of Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office)
Bulacan Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWDO) chief Rowena Joson-Tiongson said
they are now looking for a place where the family could stay while waiting for the resumption of the flights.
The family were residents of the City of San Jose Del Monte for two years until the father, a hollow blocks maker lost his job after his company closed shop when Bulacan was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
With no work, no pay, the family was forced out of their rented home by the owner after they were unable to pay the rent for three months
With nowhere to go, they mustered up the courage to go to the Official Residence of Governor Daniel R. Fernando last week to seek his help in sending them back to the province.
Fernando immediately offered the family to stay in the Nipa Hut inside his official residence for a week and provided them with livelihood assistance while he directed Tiongson to arrange all the necessary travel documents and medical clearance certificates.
To make sure they were free of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), each member of the family underwent swab tests at the GeneXpert Laboratory in Bulacan.
After the results showed they were free of SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, the governor bought the family tickets for Samar via Cebu Pacific supposedly today (June 28) and gave them P5,000 pocket money, until the flight suspension was announced Saturday.
The family of eight said they are very grateful to Fernando for helping them even if they are strangers.