International Travel

My mother had to help my grandfather through the process of returning back to the Philippines. She was not alone in this as she had to constantly refer to a Facebook group of equally confused Filipinos who were in a similar situation. My grandfather was visiting my home during late February of 2020 for a month – a yearly ritual for him. However, his visit coincided with the declaration of California’s state of emergency and the mandatory stay-at-home order. This prevented him from going back to the Philippines as scheduled and my mother promptly checked for the earliest flight back. My grandfather’s rebooked flights were delayed and cancelled five times throughout his stay and he was only able to go back home in August of that year. During his extended stay, he faced difficulties such as limited medication for his high blood pressure which was only supposed to last the month he initially planned. Although travel restrictions are necessary, I hope this sheds some light on the difficulties my grandfather faced and how it could have affected other elderly who may not have been lucky enough to have someone help them navigate through similar obstacles.