NAIA passengers stranded by Typhoon Carina, Habagat forced to sleep on floor

Passengers stranded by Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) were forced to sleep on cardboard cartons at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

Mav Gonzales reported Thursday on 24 Oras that the passengers were forced to stay at the airport after  their flights were canceled due to the bad weather.

The family of Joy Mirano was among the affected passengers. Their flight to Hong Kong was rescheduled on Friday, July 26.

“Dito na lang po muna mag-stay. Hintayin na lang po namin yung bukas,” Mirano said.

(We are going to stay here. We will wait until tomorrow.)

She added that they have been staying at the NAIA since yesterday and that their stay is more challenging since they have a child with them. The family was supposed to go on a vacation.

Senior citizen Kasuma Salmo was also stranded at NAIA. She was supposed to travel to General Santos City.

“Nandoon na kami sa baba tapos nawala. Tiningnan ko ticket namin. Sabi kanselado na. Sabi ko saan kami pupunta. I-rebook daw,” Salmo said.

(We were looking at our flight schedule when it suddenly disappeared. I checked our ticket and they told us that our flight was canceled and that we should rebook it.)

Fortunately for Salmo, her son who dropped her off at the airport had not yet left and accompanied her with the other stranded passengers.

“Yun na bagong friends ko. Marami sila. Kagabi binilhan nila ako ng kape, tinapay, doughnut. Di ako makatulog kagabi. Malamig tsaka maingay. Eh may edad na ayaw ng maingay,” Salmo said.

(My fellow stranded passengers are my new friends. Last night, they bought me coffee, bread, and a doughnut. I was not able to sleep last since it’s cold and noisy. You know when you're old, you don’t like noisy surroundings.)

Meanwhile, stranded Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were able to stay at the OFW lounge, which is more comfortable and provides free food.

But for other stranded passengers, it meant a night sleeping on cardboard cartons laid on the floor of the departure area.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cadac also visited the NAIA Terminal 1 to check the well being of OFWs affected by the flight cancellations.

There is a Migrant Workers Assistance Center in the airport to assist the OFWs on their departures.

As of 4 p.m. on Thursday, the Manila International Airport Authority said 153 flights were canceled. 

These flights include KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Eva Air, China Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and Quanzhou Flights of Xiamen Air and Philippine Airlines.

Several domestic flights were also canceled.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News