DOT8 guides and facilitates the passage of stranded tourists—now over 11,000 travelers and counting

Lady tourist wears the iconic salakot at the DZR Airport in Tacloban City early Wednesday prior to departure on a Cebu Pacific sweeper flight arranged by DOT Sec. Berna Romulo-Puyat for stranded travelers.

Tacloban City — Cebu Pacific sweeper flight airlifted at least (57) international tourists stranded due to flight cancellations in connection with the national state of health emergency measures.

The sweeper flight was made possible by the DOT8 Action Team’s exhaustive efforts to contact stranded tourists within 16 hours from the scheduled flight, transporting them safely from various points in the region in coordination with the CAAP, and provision of DOT8 MalasaKITS and boarding passes.

Stranded tourists receives MalasaKIT bag from a DOT8 A-Team member prior to boarding Cebu Pacific sweeper flight for distraught international tourists.

Following health and security protocols at the departure terminal, Cebu Pacific Flight DG6511 took off DZR Airport at 8:25AM yesterday, 25 March to spring the foreign guests to their respective transit points for their journey back to their home countries.

On March 21, 85 missionaries were brought home safely to their respective destinations via chartered flight from Tacloban City.

DOT8 staffer assists a traveler with pre-departure health and security protocol prior to boarding Cebu Pacific sweeper flight for stranded tourists.

As of 27 March, the Department of tourism has assisted 11,863 travelers while 1,466 remains stranded mostly coming from Region 7, 700; Region 11, 218; and Region 5 with 177.