TACLOBAN CITY - After a taho vendor went viral on the internet for riding his bike for 10 days from Laguna to Eastern Samar, a 27-year old construction worker, who lost his job in Metro Manila, duplicated the feat but by walking 900 kilometers for over a month to go home to MacArthur, Eastern Samar.
(Photo by Vince Yadao via Marie Marticio / MANILA BULLETIN)
According to Armand Andor, a personnel Department of Health (DOH) manning the control point, Roel Navidad walked to Sorsogon last August where he was quarantined for 14 days. There, he was able to secure the documents he needed to go home.
He was released on September 16, and continued walking until he reached Matnog Port where he rode a boat to Allen, Northern Samar through the help of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Sorsogon.
Through the kind hear of a truck driver, Navidad was able to ride to Jiabong, Samar, from where he continued his trip on foot for two days to the border control point in Taft, Eastern Samar.
With sore and calloused feet, he arrived on Tuesday, September 29. Andor said they fed Navidad, and allowed him to get some rest before he was fetched by the local government unit of MacArthur.
He will be headed to Barangay 4, Gen. MacArthur, Eastern Samar after the mandatory 14-day quarantine at a local facility.
Just like the story of most people who tried their luck in Metro Manila, Navidad left his hometown when he was only 19. His father died in 2001 when he was only eight years old. He lived in MacArthur with his aunt until he decided to leave for work in 2012.
He lived with a relative until he went to Leyte in 2018 before he went back to Metro Manila in 2019. Just like many others, Navidad lost his job due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Navidad said he also went home to look for his only brother, and check if his mother was still alive after almost 7 years of having no contact with any of them.
In March, five construction workers also walked for over three months to Leyte following the announcement of a lockdown for fear of hunger and COVID-19 infection