MANILA – The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) on Friday said all ports under its jurisdiction are in operation with no reports of stranded passengers nationwide despite some delays.
In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, PPA spokesperson Eunice Samonte said there were some reports of delayed trips, with passengers having to wait longer for their ships.
“Mayroon lang po tayong ilang mga inaantay po na barko pero hindi po natin matatawag na stranded iyong mga pasahero. Pero right now po, ang atin pong mga pasahero ay tuluy-tuloy naman po iyong biyahe (We are waiting for some ships but we can’t call the passengers stranded. Right now, trips for our passengers are continuous),” Samonte said.
A ship in the National Capital Region (NCR) North port, she said, had to reschedule its boarding from Thursday to Friday, with some passengers choosing to spend the night at the port and have since boarded their ship.
“Nakabiyahe na rin po pati po iyong sa mga probinsiya natin na bunsod po noong mga masamang panahon nitong nakaraang araw (Our trips heading to the provinces that were affected by bad weather have also continued their journeys yesterday),” she said.
To ensure a smooth voyage this holiday season, she advised travelers to book their trips in advance and have their tickets ready before arriving at the port.
In addition, she said traveling light is advisable to avoid hassle, and to refrain from bringing flammable materials such as gas canisters and other restricted items.
She also noted that some local government units (LGU) also restrict specific items and advised checking the social media page of their destination.
“Mayroon po tayong mga pinagbabawal. Like for example sa Mindoro, bawal po diyan iyong mga pork products (We have restrictions. For example, pork products are banned in Mindoro),” she said.
In its latest passenger volume report on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) monitored 24,977 outbound passengers and 21,756 inbound passengers in all ports nationwide.
The PCG has deployed a total of 628 frontline personnel in 15 PCG districts and has so far inspected 179 vessels and 277 motor bancas. (PNA)
