MANILA – The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) expects nearly 1.94 million passengers to travel through ports nationwide from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5 in time for the Undas break, although passenger traffic at Manila North Harbor remained light ahead of the long weekend.
During the port inspection with Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said the agency is projecting about 1,934,604 passengers, slightly higher than the 1,905,063 recorded during the same period last year.
Santiago said at the Manila North Harbor, only one vessel departure was scheduled for 9 p.m. on Thursday, noting that passenger traffic, even at other ports, was still slow at this time.
Santiago attributed the modest projected increase to the short break from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 as the PPA has not identified any weather disturbance or other incident expected to prevent sea travel.
“Hindi namin inaasahan na bababa dahil wala naman tayong hinaharap na bagyo or kahit na anong insidente which will prevent yung mga kababayan natin magbiyahe (We are not expecting it to go down because we don’t have any typhoons or any incidents that would prevent our fellow countrymen from traveling),” he said.
“Pero hindi din namin inaasahan na ganong kataas ang magiging difference kasi maiksi nga lang yung vacation, yung break (But we also didn’t expect the difference to be that high because the vacation, the break, is just short),” he added.
The PPA will assess actual passenger traffic over the weekend to determine whether it will meet the forecast.
The PPA said that ports projected to handle the most passengers for the Undas break are Iloilo River Wharf, Babak Port, Batangas Port, Jordan Port in Guimaras and Sasa Port in Davao City.
Meanwhile, Santiago said the agency is also preparing for the longer break from Nov. 14 to 18, when the Philippines hosts meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“We are anticipating na yung mga wala namang participation sa ASEAN ay mag-take advantage ng break na yun at sila ay aalis at magbabakasyon (that those who have no participation in ASEAN will take advantage of that break and they will leave and go on vacation),” he said.
Santiago said that in line with the order of Dizon for a 24/7 ticketing, he said the PPA is coordinating with ferry operator 2GO to help passengers book trips outside regular ticketing hours.
He said he proposed assigning personnel with computers to assist passengers in using the company’s online ticketing system when ticket counters are closed, particularly late at night.
At Manila North Harbor, the PPA has set up an air-conditioned waiting area for pregnant women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and passengers traveling with children and infants, while the port’s toilet facilities and free Wi-Fi service have also been improved.
2GO Business Unit Head of Travel, Francis John Chua said that North Harbor serves passengers traveling to Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Siargao, Butuan, Ozamiz, Batangas, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, Tagbilaran, Coron, Puerto Princesa, and Dumaguete.
Santiago said Manila North Harbor can accommodate about 1,800 passengers at a time, while Batangas Port can handle around 8,000.
The new passenger terminal in Lucena has a capacity of 3,000 and offers more modern facilities and amenities.
PPA data showed passenger traffic during the comparable period reached 1,918,921 in 2024 and 2,530,458 in 2023. (PNA)’
