Ordeal of returning to Canada from the PH lockdown

Ordeal of returning to Canada from the PH lockdown

Benji Adriano at the airport

By Irish Mae Silvestre
The Philippine Reporter

For retiree Benji Adriano and his wife Jay, their three-month vacation in the Philippines was meant to be a reprieve from Canada’s winter and a chance to reconnect with family and friends. However, caught in the chaos of COVID-19-related lockdowns, travel restrictions and cancelled flights, the couple would spend over a month trying to return home to Toronto.

“One of my classmates owns a nice resort in Dumaguete so we stayed there for a few days,” recalled Benji Adriano, who used to work as a kitchen designer. “When we found out that [the government] was planning a lockdown, we immediately returned to Manila. The lockdown was announced two days later.”

Anxious about their March 25 return date, the couple contacted Philippine Airlines but were assured that they can still fly out on their scheduled date.
However, the night before their scheduled departure, they received a text from the airline informing them that their flight was cancelled. Luckily, the couple was able to reschedule a flight for March 26 only to have their flight cancelled again.

Benji Adriano and wife Jay

“I contacted the Canadian embassy by email to ask them for their help,” explained Adriano. “They told us to stand by and that our concern was already noted – they’ll inform us about what the embassy will do. We waited for a month and nothing. You can’t even call them, it’s all just through email.”

Eventually, they were informed by the embassy that an April 14 flight was scheduled to depart. After a two and a half hour wait on the phone, the couple finally managed to get through to customer service but were shocked to discover that their return flight for their original $1,200 tickets would be cancelled – the remaining amount from their original round-trip ticket would simply be refunded. Instead, they were being charged $3,000 each for a one-way ticket back to Toronto.

“What could we do?” asked Adriano. During their stay, Adriano’s mother-in-law was hospitalized twice for recurring pneumonia. “We panicked because if something went wrong, we wouldn’t see her again,” he said. “Thank god she was released and until now she’s okay but the two-week hospital stay cost nearly P1 million [CAD$27,500]. It was the reason we decided to bite the bullet [and pay the $3,000 fare] because we didn’t want to get sick in the Philippines.”

Finally, on the day of their flight, the couple was instructed to show up five hours ahead. After arriving at the airport, they soon realized that the throngs of passengers would make social distancing impossible. They also had their luggage disinfected and their temperatures checked. They also witnessed staff handing out sandwiches and water to others who had slept at the airport the day before to catch their flights.

While all of that was to be expected, the Adrianos were in for another surprise after boarding.

Given the exorbitant cost of their one-way tickets, they realized that passengers would be seated next to each other without any gaps or any efforts to create a safe distance between passengers.

“The flight attendants were dressed in full PPEs – you could only see their eyes,” said Adriano. “While it was good that [they were being safe] it was also scary, like something from the movies.”

When they finally touched down in Toronto, Adriano said that their temperatures were checked once again, and they received information on how to quarantine at home. They were also instructed to sit in the back seat and away from their daughter who drove them home. Because of her exposure to her parents, it meant that she also had to stay isolated for 14 days.

Adriano said that he feels that the government ought to do more to help stranded Canadians even if it’s in the form of partial compensation for the cost of airfare. “It’s the government’s obligation to take care of its citizens,” he stated.

For now, he said that it’s a huge relief to be back in Toronto as they adjust to “the new normal.” “As much as you want to have your children over, you can only see them from a distance [even if they’re just] bringing food,” he said. “They’re scared for themselves, but they’re also scared for you.”

————————————————————-

Government efforts to bring Canadians home

On March 21, Prime Minster Trudeau released a statement detailing the government’s plan to help Canadians stranded abroad. “Our government is taking the necessary action to protect the health and safety of Canadians,” stated Trudeau. “COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving global issue. That is why we are taking these exceptional measures to help Canadian travelers find a way to get home to their families.”

Canadians in need of financial assistance can apply for an emergency repayable loan called the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad.