Over the years, government officials would always issue an oft-repeated advice to the public to plan their travel early in order to avoid all inconveniences during long holiday breaks such as the Holy Week. But it simply doesn’t  work that way—at least in Philippine ports. And here are two of the main reasons why. First, the absence or suspension of online booking for ships and ferries have already resulted in long queues in the ticket booths at the ports since the start of the Holy Week exodus as early as April 3. Long queues of passengers buying tickets at the Port of Batangas on Wednesday, April 5. (photo: PPA) For instance, a family of five that took the earliest bus departure in Metro Manila, supposedly to arrive in Oriental Mindoro early, found themselves falling into long queues at the Port of Batangas.  As a result, they have to wait for several hours for  the available roll on, roll off (RORO) since all the earlier passenger vessels were already fully-booked.   In his surprise inspection at the Port of Batangas on Wednesday, April 5, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago acknowledged the inconveniences that port passengers have to endure now and until the end of the Holy Week peak season travel. He said that while the passenger terminal area in Port of Batangas is not full, the bulk of the passengers are outside the port and waiting for their turn to book, which is unfortunately done manually due to the suspension on online booking of commercial vessels. “The predeparture area are not full and comfortable but where is the bottleneck? The challenge really for our passengers is in the buying of the tickets,” said Santiago.  According to Santiago, the same scenario occurs for vehicles which are also in long queues inside and outside the Port of Batangas, one of the busiest ports in the country.  Vessel shortage Second,  the shortage of the passenger vessels has been causing a number of port passengers to either be stranded or wait for long hours before they would be able to board one.  photo: PPA Santiago said they have already informed the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) about the congestion in ports, including the proposal to give special permits and to increase the frequency of vessel travel to accommodate passengers.  “We leave it to them (MARINA) on what solution they would implement,” said Santiago as he clarified that the commercial vessels are under the jurisdiction of the MARINA. Passengers’ version of penitence  “We have been pushing for advance planning (of travel) but apparently, in situations like this, it doesn’t pay off,” said Santiago.  The PPA earlier said it is expecting around 2.2 million passengers during the Lenten season from April 2 to April 10.  Santiago explained that although the PPA has been aggressively conducting constructions and improvements of its facilities, the challenge of delays and stranded passengers will remain an issue if immediate interventions are not done. e-ticketing system Based on the proposal, the e-ticketing system will have a platform wherein all the shipping lines would be connected. The portal includes the schedule of all travels such as the expected departure and arrival time from and to the ports, as well as a system that would enable booking and ticket payment. "Our kababayan can log on to this portal and plan their travel in just one sitting at the comfort of their homes, offices or wherever they are," said Santiago. In eyeing the e-ticketing implementation, Santiago also cited cases wherein passengers, whose destinations require at least two sea travel, have to fall in long queues at least two times.
At the Batangas port for instance, he said passengers have to manually buy a ticket at the port and fall in another line at a port in Mindoro for another sea travel. "Through this e-ticketing system, the travel of the passengers would be worry-free and comfortable," said Santiago. Why it is necessary According to Santiago, the problem of port congestion during peak season is a decades-long challenge. With the big growth rate every year, he said the situation is expected to turn worse in the coming years, especially that the Philippines has at least three major peak season travel—Lenten, All Saints and All Souls Days, and the Christmas season. “We have a 100 percent increase in port passenger traffic every year. We have to do something about it because it is the passengers who suffer,” said Santiago. The e-ticketing system was already subjected to test run, unfortunately, its contract was cancelled in July last year.  "What we are doing right now is to push for the revival of this initiative for the benefit of our kababayan," said Santiago. photo: PPA With no hope of immediate solution for port congestion due to passenger traffic, Santiago said the most that the PPA could do is to prepare food and water for the stranded passengers and ensure that the first-come, first served policy is strictly implemented. He said the Malasakit Centers inside ports are also open to attend to the needs and all concerns of port passengers.  He assured port passengers that these measures are already being done following his order to cancel all leaves from April 3 to 10 which results in around 4,4000 PPA personnel involved in port operations to report for duty.  Santiago said that the entire Port Police force was also instructed to be in full force for the entire duration of the Holy Week.