LINGAYEN, Pangasinan (PNA) – Twenty-seven senior high school graduates, who have been stranded in Silang, Cavite since March, have been reunited with their families after the provincial government of Pangasinan facilitated their return to the province.
In a statement Tuesday, the Provincial Information Office (PIO) said the students were composed of 14 males and 13 females, who graduated from the St. Mary of Banneux (The Sisters of Mary) school.
“They were not allowed to go home to Pangasinan since the start of the lockdown in March. Several of them stated that they have been away from their home months before the declared quarantine periods,” the PIO said.
The students were fetched on August 23 by the provincial government’s shuttle buses from Cavite to their respective homes, it added.
“Inclusive of the free transportation, the locally stranded individuals (LSIs) were treated with meals and family packs,” the PIO said.
It said the students were not allowed to be visited by their family members, but the institution did not totally block their communication.“The parents or guardians of the students were allowed to connect with their sons and daughters via scheduled phone calls using the institution’s communication lines (for students who do not have cellular phones). With stricter administrative policy, the students were not allowed to go out of the school premises at all to safeguard their health and ensure their safety,” the PIO said.