As President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. 's “holiday economics” has started gaining support from the public, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is pushing for the implementation of an online ticketing system for passengers in all ports nationwide.
The PPA sees the electronic ticketing, or e-ticketing system, would fit in the implementation of “holiday economics”, which was started during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in order to create long weekends by moving holidays closer to Saturday and Sunday.
For this month alone, there are two scheduled long weekends as the Ninoy Aquino Day falls on Monday and next week, there will be a four-day long weekend after President Marcos suspended work and classes in Metro Manila and Bulacan for the FIBA opening and the Aug. 28 non-working holiday in observance of the National Heroes Day.
PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said booking sea travel for passengers has always been a challenge especially during long weekends and long holidays like the Holy Week, All Saints and All Souls Days, and the Christmas and the New Year celebrations.
"The e-ticketing system is part of our big electronic management system. It aims to assist our kababayan from spending a lot of time in long lines just to purchase a ticket in our ports," said Santiago.
"What we want to address through this project is the usual long lines that passengers have to endure whenever they go to their hometowns or go on a vacation to take advantage of long breaks. We feel how stressful it is and how tiring it is on the part of the passengers," he added.
The e-ticketing system was already initiated by the PPA but was put on hold last year for further review and study.
Santiago said they are hoping that this would be implemented in the soonest possible time in order to finally address the decades-long congestion and bottlenecks in all ports during long holidays.
Based on the proposal, shipping lines would have access to the e-ticketing system of the PPA in all ports to ensure fast and comfortable transactions of sea travelers.
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.
PPA officials believe that the e-ticketing system would boost tourism in the Philippines, especially that the agency is now working with the Department of Tourism for big-ticket projects in promoting tourist spots in the country.
Among the projects are the foreign cruise ship terminals in Siargao, in Boracay, Ilocos Norte and Palawan.