54 stranded Ilonggos from Cebu City allowed to disembark

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

After getting stuck inside a passenger ship for more than 24 hours, 54 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) from Cebu City were allowed to disembark at the Iloilo Fastcraft and Roro Terminal in Lapuz, Iloilo City on Monday.

Lieutenant Commander Joe Luviz Mercurio, Philippine Coast Guard-Iloilo Station commander, said the decision was anchored on a June 22, 2020 memorandum of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordering the “acceptance of LSIs from Cebu City onboard the Cokaliong vessel.”

DILG Senior Executive Assistant Jerry Loresco signed the order. The disembarkation process started Monday afternoon.

The LSIs’ dilemma stemmed from a June 19 advisory issued by DILG-Region VII regional director Leocadio Trovela in compliance with the order of DILG Sec. Eduardo Año.

Addressed to all provincial/city directors and LSI focal persons, the advisory stated the “temporary travel ban of LSIs coming from or going to Cebu City.”

The travel ban was imposed after Cebu City reverted to the enhanced community quarantine status following the surge in COVID-19 cases.

But Mercurio said he received the advisory around 8:30 pm Saturday, more than an hour after the 54 LSIs on board the Cokaliong vessel left Cebu Pier 1 Terminal.

The 54 LSIs arrived in Iloilo City 10 a.m. Sunday.

“Because of that memorandum, I have no choice but to disallow their disembarkation,” Mercurio said.

An Iloilo City-based resort, whose employee was one of the passengers, and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-6 provided meals to the stranded LSIs.

The LSIs were then fetched by their respective local government units.

“We’re just glad that their anxiety and apprehensions after getting stranded have been resolved,” Mercurio said.

The Cokaliong vessel was allowed to sail back to Cebu City Monday evening with no passenger onboard.