Joblessness forces Manila’s poor workers back to provinces

It was not a happy homecoming — there were no family members to meet the workers who were turned over to officials of their respective villages

Text and photos by Vincent Go, Philippines - June 10, 2020

A disinfection area for the arriving passengers has been set up in the middle of a vacant lot in the province of Albay.

About 600 workers boarded buses for their home province of Albay last week in what seemed to have become an exodus of jobless Filipinos out of the Philippine capital Manila in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Photojournalist Vincent Go joined the workers, who were most affected by the closure of some businesses due to the global health crisis, to document the 12-hour trip home that started outside a Catholic church in the outskirts of Manila.

Before boarding the buses that would bring them home, the workers had to undergo a series of verification processes, medical tests, and disinfection procedures. Food was served by church volunteers and Redemptorist missionaries.

It was a long overnight trip through several towns and cities, through farms and mountains south of Manila until the weary travellers saw the majestic Mount Mayon volcano, an icon of their home province, early in the morning after the sun rose.

It was a 12-hour drive through towns and villages north of the capital to reach the province of Albay.

Upon arrival, the workers again underwent health checks in local health centers, and even under the shade of trees, another disinfection procedure and identity checks.

It was not a happy homecoming. There were no family members to meet the workers who were turned over to officials of their respective villages.

A disinfection area for the arriving passengers has been set up in the middle of a vacant lot in the province of Albay.

Village officials in protective gear welcome the arriving workers back to the province.

Published June 10, 2020