Stranded Filipino woman Michelle Silvertino died after waiting days

Stranded Filipino woman Michelle Silvertino died after waiting days for a bus home during lockdown

(CNN) The death of a single mother in the Philippines who died after trying to get a bus home during the country's coronavirus lockdown has led to widespread anger online, and prompted the government to look into how it treats stranded workers during the pandemic.

Michelle Silvertino, 33, was found unconscious on a footbridge along a major highway in the capital Manila on June 5.

The mother of four had tried to catch a bus to her home in Calabanga, Camarines Sur province -- more than 400 kilometers southeast of Manila (250 miles) -- but because of Covid-19 quarantine measures no public transport was operating, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines.

Silvertino walked from Quezon City, just north of Manila, to Pasay City to the south, with hopes of catching a ride from there, CNN Philippines reported. But that proved to be futile and she became stranded on a footbridge for several days, where she was found unconscious and later declared dead at the hospital.

Her death sparked outrage in the Philippines and the hashtag #JusticeforMichelleSilvertino trended on Twitter. People across the country have joined the social media campaign calling for justice and criticizing the government for not doing enough to help stranded workers like Silvertino.



"We're like beggars here. All we want is to go home to our families," one passenger told the news agency.

No one wanted this to happen, but we will now take steps to make sure what happened to Michelle won't happen again. We have a new policy to help all those stranded in airports and bus terminals, Roque said.

The statement added that stranded workers will undergo rapid testing for Covid-19 before being found transportation.