Athletes who were stranded in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan last week arrived in Manila yesterday after they were ferried by the Navy.
The BRP Bacolod City, which was carrying 719 passengers, mostly student athletes from different regions and officials from the Department of Education, arrived at the Navy headquarters along Roxas Blvd. in Manila at 8 a.m.
Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan, Navy spokesman, said the passengers of the vessel were participants to this year’s Palarong Pambansa that was held in the said city last April 20-26.
“Some of the delegates were supposed to board commercial shipping lines bound for Manila on May 3 and 4, but due to lack of commercial vessels and financial constraints, they sought the assistance of the Philippine Navy for the immediate transport back to Manila,” Caculitan said.
He said the commercial shipping lines could not accommodate the large bulk of passengers that would be going back to Manila after the Palaro.
“When they arrived in Palawan, they came in batches, so when the games ended, they all have to go back to Manila and because of this they could not be accommodated at one time,” he said.
Caculitan said the delegates could not afford to be stranded for another week in Palawan as they would have to spend for their lodging. – James Mananghaya