MARINA issues relaxation order at Batangas Port as technical glitch forces cancellation of trips
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has released a relaxation order at the Batangas Port after the trips of many passengers going to the provinces for the Holy Week reportedly got cancelled on Holy Wednesday, April 5, due to technical glitch in the ticketing system.
In a statement, the MARINA said it was "taking necessary steps" to address the situation at the Batangas Port and "ensure a safe, reliable, and convenient transportation of passengers and rolling cargoes."
"To this end, we have issued a relaxation order valid from 26 March to 23 April 2023, which allows ships to immediately depart once their maximum authorized passenger and/or cargo capacities are attained," the MARINA said.
"This will help to reduce waiting time for passengers and ensure speedy transportation," it added.
The MARINA said that its regional office in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) has been coordinating with various shipping companies at the Batangas Port to sort out the issue.
At present, the MARINA said that only two shipping companies at the Batangas Port have working online booking services: the Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation (APFC) and Starlite Ferries Inc.
"Please note that shipping lines operating in the said Port have deployed a maximum number of personnel to manage the 24/7 operations in their ticketing booths. However, due to the limited space provided by the said Port, shipping companies cannot deploy additional manpower who will serve as ambulant tellers," MARINA said.
"We strongly encourage shipping companies to offer online booking services to their passengers to minimize queuing time and improve the passenger experience," it added.
Many passengers were affected by hours-long queues at the Batangas Port since some shipping companies had to process the bookings manually after the reported technical glitch.
Shipping companies have reportedly refunded the fares of the passengers but the latter have to line up again for several hours to book another trip.