Pasay City sets up tents for stranded LSIs
The Pasay City government utilized more rooms at the Villamor Airbase Elementary School (VABES) and set up tents at the school premises to accommodate locally stranded individuals (LSIs) whose number increased anew at the vicinity of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) due to cancelled provincial flights.
Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano renewed her appeal to passengers to first confirm their flights before proceeding to the airport and for airline companies to establish a Help Desk that would inform and guide the LSIs on what to do when their flights are cancelled or re-scheduled.
“I am reiterating my appeal to our kababayans who are going to their home provinces to please confirm first your flights before you proceed to the NAIA and you should come here to the airport only on the day of your confirmed flights,” Rubiano said.
The mayor is also appealing to the airline company officials to help their passengers and not just pass their obligation to the city government and national government.
“You should ensure these people’s basic provisions and accommodations in the event of cancellation or re-scheduling of their flights and put up help desks that would assist them on what they should do as they wait the re-scheduling and confirmation of their flights to their provinces,” Rubiano reiterated.
As of 12 noon Sunday, July 5, there are about 256 LSIs at VABES bound for Bacolod, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos City and Cebu via Air Asia and Cebu Pacific.
“We at the Pasay LGU together with the national government agencies particularly the Department of Interiors and Local Government (DILG) and the civic organizations have been exerting all efforts to help them,“ Rubiano said.
At VABES, the city government put up twenty tents that can each accommodate eight persons observing physical distancing and also utilized some classrooms.
The mayor added that the city government with the help of the national agencies, civic organizations and Barangay 813 where the school is located are also providing food and other essentials.
Rubiano said the city government sent home about 771 LSIs last June 17 who were accommodated at the VABES and at the Philippine State College with the help of the national agencies, DILG and the Department of Transportation (DOTR).