More than 200 students from Japan and South Korea who are in Baguio to learn English were allowed to leave for their country and beat the 72-hour deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte in his Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine for foreign students.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong signed on Tuesday a special permit for the foreign students to travel from Baguio to Clark International Airport in Angeles City, Pampanga to board a flight to their countries on March 18.
The students were ferried by chartered vans from Tarlac City that brought them to to Angeles City, said Reuben Aslor, a representative of the Baguio English School Association.
“We have about 200 foreign students with us, but we still do not know how many are enrolled in the city,” Aslor told the councilors during a special session of the city council.
Aslor, vice president for external affairs of the Pines International Academy, said it had been a challenge for them since public transport has been suspended in line with the quarantine declaration.
“We already contacted and agreed with private owned vans in Tarlac to provide transport for our students,” he told members of the city council.
Travel would require passing through the provinces of Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Pampanga.
Magalong has signed Executive Order 67, amending EO 65, extending the curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. with a 24-hour curfew in line with the President Rodrigo Duterte’s Luzon-wide quarantine. – PNA
April 20, 2024
