Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago has ordered all port managers to prepare sufficient food for stranded passengers in anticipation of an influx of port passengers as the Holy Week exodus begins. Citing situation reports from the ground, Santiago said the number of passengers have started to increase compared with normal days and the official said they expect the volume of passengers to increase starting Wednesday, April 5.
President Marcos earlier cancelled the work in all government offices at 12 noon on April 5 to give time for government workers to prepare for their planned travel. The Lenten break, on the other hand, starts on Thursday, April 6 until Monday, April 10. As the number of passengers in the ports continue to increase, we hope that there would be no delay in the expected departures of the ships and ferries in order for our kababayan to have comfortable travel,” said Santiago. “But in anticipation of unexpected delays, we want to make sure that our basic needs of the stranded passengers are immediately attended to,” he added. Santiago earlier assured the stranded passengers that free food, including what he described as signature PPA lugaw (rice porridge) will be distributed to them. The PPA is expecting around 2.2 million passengers in all its ports nationwide from Palm Sunday, April 2, to Easter Sunday, April 9, and as of 6 a.m. on Monday, April 3, more than 23,000 passengers have already been recorded.
The PPA earlier inaugurated Port Operations Buildings and Passenger Terminal Buildings in Ports of Masbate, Coron in Palawan and Calapan in Oriental Mindoro last month, in time for the Holy Week exodus. The newly-inaugurated Passenger Terminal Building in Calapan Port is the country’s largest port passenger terminal as it could accommodate around 3,500 passengers, from the previous 1,600 passengers. The Port of Masbate can now also accommodate over 500 passengers from the previous 100 passengers while the Port of Coron can now accommodate over 500 passengers from the previous 250 passengers. PPA spokesperson Eunice Samonte said the improvements done in the three ports include amenities like charging stations, breastfeeding areas, clinics with nurses, and all-gender comfort rooms. In the Port of Calapan, it is equipped with four elevators, escalators and a playing area. Santiago is currently in Mindanao for inspection of ports in the area, especially the port leading to and from Siargao, one of the country’s popular tourist sites.