Fylde coast man stranded in the Philippines due to lockdown

Will Shaw, a 23-year-old graduate who grew up in Cleveleys, was on a round-the-word backpacking trip for seven months with a group of friends but his travels came to a halt on Siargao Island when the country was put under strict quarantine measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 on 15 March.

Will, who lives in Leeds where he attended university, said: “It’s been a bit of an uncertain few weeks over here as it’s been at home too. Lots of things are changing on a day-to-day basis and it’s slightly concerning that we hadn’t heard from the UK embassy until a few days ago.

“As Dominic Raab stated that all tourists should return home, the island we were on had been locked down, as most places had been, and there was no way off the island. There was sweeper flights earlier that week but we had no guarantee that we could find an onward flight to the UK without it getting cancelled or costing a fortune.

“The added risk of getting stranded in a major city with hit and miss accommodation availability kept us here on Siargao.”

Travel restrictions has meant hundreds of foreign travellers remain stranded across the archipelago of more than 7,000 islands.

Will added: “It’s been stressful and caused a little anxiety within the group but has been helped by the friendliness of the Philippino community and from being with the close friends I am with.”

Will’s trip was meant to last until late Summer but will be headed to Poulton to live with family when he returns.

He added: “Keeping in touch with family has been relatively easy and they have been supportive along the way.”