DOTr appeals for patience as Calapan port swamped with passengers
As the holiday break ended and work schedules resumed, tens of thousands of passengers trooped to the Port of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro which resulted in a long queue that reached a one-kilometer stretch on Tuesday, Jan. 3, forcing thousands of travelers to wait for hours before they could board their trips.

According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the passenger terminal building (PTB) of the Port of apanCal is currently undergoing construction which limits the capacity of the facility. There are around 36,000 passengers embarking and disembarking at the port daily, the department said.
“The trips are ongoing as passengers continue to troop to the port. But because of the limited space inside the port due to the ongoing construction of the PTB, there were additional canopy and tents that were installed to serve as temporary waiting sheds for the passengers lining up to buy vessel tickets,” said Ana Dominique Consulta, chief of the Communications and Commuter Affairs Office (CCAO) of DOTr.
In a Facebook post, the provincial information office (PIO) of Oriental Mindoro advised passengers to take precaution and be extra patient as the queue already reached outside the port and beside the road where vehicles pass by.
It reportedly took three to five hours before the passengers could board passenger ships that would bring them back to the mainland.

“Take precaution and bring extra patience for those who are going back to the mainland,” the PIO said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has also coordinated with the local government unit of Calapan to provide tents that would accommodate the affected passengers.
“The PPA has allotted its parking space in all of its offices to serve priority passengers such as senior citizens, PWDs , pregnant women, and children,” Consulta noted.
The Prudential Customs Brokerage Services, Inc. (PCBSI), which serves as the port terminal management contractor (PTMC) of the Calapan port, also implemented a ticketing system to ensure the systematic processing of the passengers, she added.