Around 114,000 passengers were recorded in various ports nationwide on Friday, January 3, as Filipinos return to work and classes with the end of the holiday break.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said there were 59,594 outbound passengers and 55,208 inbound passengers in all ports nationwide from 6 a.m. to 12 noon on the first Friday of 2025.

A total of 2,999 PCG personnel were deployed on the field in 16 coast guard districts across the country and they were able to inspect 552 vessels and 1,040 motorboats.

Friday marked the last day that all the PCG districts, stations and sub-stations were placed on a heightened alert since Dec. 20 to manage the influx of port passengers for the Christmas and New Year’s Day celebration.

The PCG expects that there will be more passengers in ports this coming weekend.

Search continues for missing crew

Meanwhile, the PCG alerted its personnel and ensure public safety amid the influx of people in ports.

This, as search and rescue (SAR) operations continued to locate a missing crew of MV Jerlyn Khatness, a cargo ship which sank off Lavezares, Northern Samar last Dec. 30.

In an update on Friday, the PCG said its Coast Guard Station Northern Samar conducted another aerial sea surface search in collaboration with the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the vicinity waters of Northern Samar last Jan. 1 to find a 64-year-old male crew of the cargo ship.

“The joint team scour the waters off Lavezares, Biri, San Jose, Allen, and Victoria, the team yielded negative results. Further, coastal Barangays and fishermen were also advised to report to the nearest Coast Guard office for possible sighting of the missing person,” the PCG said.

The search ended with no positive development on the case.

Meanwhile, a minimal light fuel spill was observed near the suspected sunken area of MV Jerlyn Khatness.

“Upon assessment by the Marine Environmental Protection Enforcement and Response Group – Eastern Visayas personnel, the oil sheen is expected to easily evaporate and disappear from the water surface naturally,” the PCG said.

To recall, MV Jerlyn Khatness was manned by a 15-member crew when it submerged due to rough seas around 2:30 p.m. last Dec. 30.

Thirteen crew members were rescued, a 30-year-old male crew died, while another went missing.

The vessel was bringing cement from Naga City, Cebu to San Jose, Northern Samar when it was battered by big waves, causing it to sink.