MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday advised those who would be stranded due to the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to go to military camps for accommodation and food.

“Yung stranded, we will try to help you…your Air Force and your Army will help you wherever you are. Kung wala ka nang mauwian, kung wala na kayong matulugan, I am asking the military commanders of the different camps all over the country that you can go there and ask for accommodation at pagkain,” Duterte said in a taped message streamed online.

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(Those who are stranded, we will try to help you. Your Air Force and your Army will help you wherever you are. If you can’t go home, if you don’t have anywhere to sleep, I am asking the military commanders of the different camps all over the country that you can go there and ask for accommodation and food).

“They will, they’d only be too willing to help you. Yun ang ating Army at pulis. Bigyan kayo pagkain at tulugan, and in the meantime, they will try to communicate the authorities in Manila to, we will try to, anyway makukuha ko kayo,” he added.

(They will, they’d only be too willing to help you. That’s our army and police. They will give you food and a place to sleep and in the meantime, they will try to communicate with authorities in Manila, we will try to get you).

The President enforced a month-long enhanced security quarantine over the entire Luzon as the number cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country continue to rise.

As a result, many individuals—mostly workers—were left stranded in several border checkpoints between Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“That is a very terrible thing, you know as a matter of fact, it would have been very cruel for you to drive away lalo na yung mga bata nagbakasyon tapos walang mauwian, walang tatanggap,” Duterte added.

(That is a very terrible thing, you know as a matter of fact, it would have been very cruel for you to drive away especially those who are young, they went for a vacation and then they have nowhere to go).

“My heart bleeds for them, hindi mo malaman kung saan ka pupunta, Pilipino ka naman pero wala namang tatanggap sa iyo. To me, I can understand your refusal. But more than your feeling, yung akin is to somehow protect and help Filipinos in distress,” he added.

(My heart bleeds for them, they won’t know where to go, your a Filipino but no one will help you. To me, I can understand your refusal. But more than your feeling, what I feel is to to somehow protect and help Filipinos in distress).

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The Chief Executive then asked local government units to “move forward together with one accord” with the national government.

“Implement the lockdowns and save our people from the dreaded disease once and for all. Ang pinaka remedyo dito is just to, magkalayo kayo (Your remedy is to practice social distancing),” he said.

For those who are not able to practice social distancing, Duterte said they can resort to prayers.

“Ngayon kung yung bahay ninyo sa bukid maliliit. Eh dikit dikit kayo. Sabayan na lang din natin ng… Ano bang, prayer ito, dasal. Sabayan na lang natin ng dasal na tutulungan yung mga tao, mga Pilipino na hindi, they are not in a position, wala sa kanilang kakayahan na mag sunod ng social standing,” he said.

(Now, if your house is small, you are close to each other. Let’s pray, let’s pray so that we can help those people who are not in a position to practice social distancing).

But he added that it would still be better to “just keep your distance from strangers or friends.”

“Just so na maputol yung contamination from A to B, B to C,” he said.

(So that we can break the link of contamination from A to B, B to C).

“So it’s actually the social intercourse that is bad at this time. I hope you can understand us at maintindihan rin ninyo kung ano ang ginagawa namin (and you will understand what we are doing),” he added.

The Philippines has so far reported 217 COVID-19 cases, and 17 deaths.