By Rey Anthony Chiu, PIA-Bohol | 09:03 PM July 08, 2020
Desperation was what couple Alejandro and Marcia Suello felt, when they realized they were held hostage by the government–imposed travel restrictions in attempts to stem the tide in the spreading and contain the deadly virus that has already claimed a few hundreds of lives.
Both are Boholanos and have planned to finally resettle in the province since February, knowing that living in the harsh city would be too taxing for them and their only child.
In fact, in February, Marcia accompanied their child to Bohol, knowing that it would be too much for the child to travel later when they would be packed with the few things they have acquired in Manila to Bohol.
They have initially planned to haul their things to Bohol by March.
That was also when things started to go awry and mess their plans.
By mid-March, the number of coronavirus disease (COVID) infected patients in the National Capital Region ballooned, forcing the government to implement drastic measures to contain the disease.
Alejandro, 38 from San Carlos Danao Bohol was a construction worker in a Manila project that was completed in February.
His wife, Marcia, from Barangay Baluarte in Buenavista works as a security guard there, until March 15 when she has to resign to advance their bid to finally settle in Bohol.
It was then that they found themselves jobless, stranded in a far-away land and forced to use up the few savings they would have used to ship their things to Bohol that they were strung in the fire, alone and helpless.
(Lisud, mangita ka og pagkaon, pero gamay ra ang imong kwarta) it was tough looking for food and all you have is little money, he confessed as he sat here at the holding area of the Port of Tagbilaran.
Alejandro and Marcia were among the 41 locally stranded individuals (LSI) and thousands of people who have been enticed with the government’s program to go back to the provinces, especially in the COVID times, where it is much safer there.
(Nangapply miss a Balik probinsya) Sir, he shared, knowing that government programs like this have packages of assistance and starter sets of livelihood.
Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa is a government program that aims to provide hope for a better future to Filipinos through equity in resources throughout the country that will boost countryside development. The program is geared towards addressing Metro Manila’s congested urban areas by encouraging people, especially informal settlers to return to their home provinces and assist them in this transition with support and incentives on transportation, family, livelihood, housing, subsistence and education, among others.
They also know that it would take them a long time to avail of the program considering the number of people who would want to be facilitated to resettle in their home provinces.
As they await for the results of their application to the program, the couple who was renting a room in Manila has to use up their savings for their stay, compounded by the momentary disruptions in work.
It was also on these times that they forged their resolve to make a new life in Bohol, seeing that their growing kid will have a better chance in Bohol than in the urban jungle where everything has a price.
Both working hard to stay alive despite the strict home quarantine orders, Alejandro and Marcia used all the time they have in bagging their things, but as the quarantine stretched, their cash slowly drained too.
And then one day, there was a call.
(Gitawagan mi sa taga goberno Sir, gipangutana mi kon interesado ba mi nga moapil sa Tulong Hatid Program. Syempre, kauli-on na kaayo mi mao nga wala gyud namo palabya ang kahigayonan.) Somebody called us, asking if we were interested in the Tulong Hatid Program. Naturally, we signed in because we were really on to going home finally, Alejandro shared.
An initiative of the Office of the President and administered by the Presidential Management Staff through Executive Director Joseph Encabo, the program is a government initiative to provide transportation to those stranded in Metro Manila due to lockdowns and travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
All those who were in the program has to undergo the preventive measures to avoid local transmission of the disease, by placing all LSI beneficiaries to a rapid antibody diagnostic testing for COVID-19 before they boarded the buses, or boats to ensure that stringent health protocols to halt the spread of the dreaded disease are followed.
(Wala mi maglangan, miadto mi dayon sa Quirino Grandstand didtoy daghang tawo, mipila mi pagkabuntag, ug gani wala mi magdahum nga makasakay dayun sa available nga barko para sa Visayas) We wasted no time and went to join the huge crowd at Quirino Grandstand. We never expected to get free slots in the boat that was leaving for the Visayas).
Last July 4 and 5, at the OP send-off at the Quirino Grandstand had the government sending off thousands of LSIs on board buses or boats to Luzon and the Visayas and Mindanao.
For the Suellos. the long wait for the Balik Probinsya has kept them from hoping much, they never expected to get the slots.
And then they got the slots, for free transportation and accommodation costs on the government boat, plus an allowance of P2,000 each.
For the couple, they took, along with 39 more Boholano LSIs the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Multi-Mission Offshore Vessel 5501 BRP Lapulapu which was to sail to Bohol.
The boat left Pier 15 in Manila North Harbor last July 6 at 5 in the morning and has to do a refueling stopover in San Carlos City in Negros before getting to Tagbilaran Port July 8 at 5:00 in the morning.
(Nagpasalamat ko og dako sa Tulong Hatid Program kay wa damha nga makaabot ko ug akong asawa sa Bohol nga wala’y bisa’g gamay nga gasto, unya may pabawon pa nga cash.) I would like to thank Tulong Hatid Program, I never thought me and my wife could get to Bohol for free, and still get a cash allowance.)
(Mi-apply mi sa Balik Probinsya Program apan gitawgan mi sa Tulong Hatid kon interesado ba ‘mi nga mosakay sa programa. Wala jud mi bisag gamay nga gigasto sa akong asawa nga miabot mi dinhi sa Bohol, salamat sa Ginoo ug salamat sa Tulong Hatid) We applied for Balik Probinsya Program but Tulong Hatid called us asking if we were on to joining the program. We with my wife did not spend a cent until we arrived here, thanks God and thanks to Tulong Hatid, Alejandro said.
The couple now at the pier holding facility was among the few LSIs awaiting for their LGU transport vehicles that would get them to LGU run quarantine facilities where they will stay for the next 14 days.
Nia na jud mi, bahala nag magquarantine, basta kay nia na sa Bohol, dili na kayo kuyaw, he hinted a life much better here than in the urban jungle where they came from.
If they can pass that without any symptom of COVID infection, then it would be the time for the couple to finally rejoin their child and be a family again, hopeful for a new and better life in Bohol. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)
