MANILA, Philippines — Military trucks and commissioned private buses have been deployed to ferry commuters who were exempted from the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, but found themselves stranded due to the shutdown of public transportation, Malacañang said Tuesday. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said reports reached Malacañang about the plight of workers and employees stranded from work, as well as those health workers and those in the exempted group on Day One of the Luzon-wide quarantine. “Everyone is called upon to rise to the challenges of this dangerous and extremely difficult phase of our history as a nation,” said Panelo. He noted that Duterte himself is “setting an example,” by going out early Tuesday morning to monitor the implementation of the isolation of Luzon. The Palace official reiterated the government’s appeal for the public to exercise self-discipline and cooperation in a bid to contain the spread of virus.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 17, 2020 07:07 UTC