Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) – Ports nationwide will be open 24/7 for the Holy Week rush as authorities expect more than 2.2 million sea travelers, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said Thursday.
“Meron tayong top five ports na pinakamatao. Kabilang diyan yung Batangas, Iloilo, Calapan (in Oriental Mindoro), yung Jordan diyan sa Guimaras at Babak sa Davao,” Philippine Ports Authority spokesperson Eunice Samonte said during a Laging Handa briefing.
[Translation: We have five top crowded ports. These include ports in Batangas, Iloilo, Calapan, Jordan in Guimaras, and Babak in Davao.]
The PPA will also implement a \”no leave policy\” and \”full manpower\” directive, which covers all personnel including PPA’s frontline services on duty. This is effective from April 3 to 10 to cater to the expected influx of passengers.
“Our security personnel are on heightened alert,” PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said Thursday in a statement. “All the filed leaves of the PPA personnel in the frontline services have been canceled to ensure that the needs of passengers flocking at our ports during Holy Week are provided.”
In the same interview, the Philippine Coast Guard said it will deploy more personnel, such as K9 units, medical teams, security personnel, vessel inspectors, and deployable response groups in the ports to attend to travelers during the rush.
Other transportation authorities also said they are geared up for the Holy Week break.
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