Hatid Tulong to prioritize E. Visayas returning residents after month-long ban

MANILA - The government's Hatid Tulong program will prioritize sending home residents of Eastern Visayas stranded in Metro Manila after a month of moratorium by the region, the program head said Wednesday.

Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo said the schedule would most likely be released before the second week of October.

"Tutok po kami sa Region 8 dahil patapos na po ang kanilang moratorium sa buwan na ito," Encabo told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

(We will focus on Region 8 because the region's moratorium ends this month.)

"Sa mga nakaraang send-off, kumuha kami ng acceptance letter sa receiving local government units para patunay po na welcome ang kanilang kababayan sa pag-uwi at handa silang tanggapin ang kanilang constituents."

(In previous send-offs, we obtained acceptance letters from receiving local government units as proof that they accept and welcome their constituents home.)

Some 45 locally stranded individuals originally from Eastern Visayas waited more than a month so they could get home, Encabo said.

The program will endorse the returning residents to government's livelihood assistance program Balik Probinsiya, he added.