Starting Dec. 22, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will not approve any leave of absence of its frontliners in various ports across the country in anticipation of the influx of around four million passengers for the Holiday season.
PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said the cancellation of leaves will be until Jan. 3, the expected mass travel of passengers back to their workplaces and schools after the long Holiday break.
“We want to ensure full manpower complement in all our terminals. We are expecting four million passengers travelling this Holiday season December 22 to January 3 nationwide,” said Santiago.
“So starting December 22 to January 3, no leaves will be approved. We want to ensure enough manpower in all our ports,” he added.
Santiago assured port passengers of the readiness of the PPA for the Holiday season as he explained that the agency has existing operational plans during long breaks like Yuletide and Holy Week.
He said part of the operational plans is the existence of a task force in every port that oversees security and smooth flow of incoming and outbound passengers.
“Our preparations even include cases of bad weather conditions and all the other challenges that may arise that may affect our passengers,” said Santiago.
These include distribution of free water and rice porridge for stranded passengers.
In the past few years, the PPA embarked on infrastructure projects to ensure convenience to the passengers such as the improvement of passenger terminal buildings in ports in Calapan City, Batangas City and Masbate.
The infrastructure projects were aimed at increasing the number of passengers that could be accommodated, as well as putting up facilities to improve passenger experience such as charging stations, play areas for kids and others.