MANILA — The lack of ships to cater to the surge in passengers traveling for the upcoming three-day holiday may be a problem, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) admitted.
The holiday period pertains to Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (October 30), All Saints’ Day (November 1), and All Souls’ Day (November 2), which are all holidays.
According to PPA General Manager Jay Santiago, the volume of passengers in different ports across the country is starting to increase as the holiday breaks approach.
“The challenge we see there, if ever, is the lack of water transport vehicles,” Santiago said in an interview on Radyo 630.
“The number of ships may not meet the surge in passengers that will travel,” he aired his concern.
PPA expects around 1.4 million passengers for this peak season.
Santiago advised the public to secure and confirm their booking tickets first, before their travel dates to avoid unnecessary delays.
“They should not rely on buying tickets when they are in the port already. They may not be able to get tickets as the ships are already full,” he cautioned travelers.
Santiago also reminded travelers from Mindoro not to bring pork and frozen pork products since these items are prohibited due to the swine flu. (Angeline Marcelino © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
