Stranded Kalinga students in Baguio get aid from home

By Dionisio Dennis, Jr. and Jesse Maguiya

BAGUIO CITY – Around 400 students from Kalinga province who were stranded here following the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine got their PHP750-cash assistance.

Coursed through the city treasury office, the release started on Monday and Tuesday as each student queued at the city hall cashier following the social distancing rule to get money, which they can use as a stop-gap fund while stranded.

In an earlier meeting of the Provincial inter-agency task force, the provincial government together with the mayors of the different towns of Kalinga and Tabuk City agreed to extend financial aid to the students who were not able to go home to the province.

The students were asked to submit their names and home provinces as well as their location, for the provincial officials to be able to extend aid.

Governor Ferdinand Tubban had also earlier asked the Kalinga students, wherever they are, to stay put but provide their officials information of their whereabouts.

The same assistance was provided to students who were stranded in Tabuk.

“Karen” (not her real name), a college student at Saint Louis University came with three of her board mates who are also from Pasil, said they have been “on diet” to limit their expenses on food.

The four students received PHP2,250 consolidated amount which will make survive for the next few days.

Another student said there are still others who were not listed as they were not able to send information and only heard of the assistance.

The provincial government has asked those who were not included in the list to submit their information to the Facebook account of the local government for their inclusion in the second batch of financial aid. (PNA)