Report from Inside the Rizal Memorial Stadium

By Eloisa Lopez with photos from Reuters

Scenes at Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium this morning, where thousands of stranded Filipinos are crammed while waiting to be transported back to their provinces…

The stadium was filled to the brim. Social distancing was physically impossible. Officials had planned for 7,500 people to arrive at the stadium from Friday, but were caught out when another 2,000 people who were not yet scheduled to travel headed there anyway.

The ramps and stairs leading up the bleachers were also crowded. There was no proper system in place, so many passengers would repeatedly attempt to go out to check if their buses have arrived.

Outside, police were asked to enforce social distancing as crowds have also formed.

Inside, a PNP band played a Rey Valera song…

This same stadium was used as a venue during the Southeast Asian Games last year.

From a Twitter thread on @eloisaalopez