Avoid the hassle and enjoy the long weekend, folks!

Hello, dear readers! It is Thirstday again and we are about to go off for a long weekend!

While we are packing our bags for a much needed vacay, let us prepare appropriately so as not to get tangled on the busy roads, airports, seaports, and terminals.

We need to plan our travel and travel our plan. Yes, it's that easy but easier said than done as we navigate our way to our destination on whatever means of transport we are going to utilize.

If you are traveling by sea and will somehow be at some ports of the Philippine Ports Authority, or PPA, here are some bits of information for you to take.

The PPA expects over 1.4 million passengers at the ports for Undas 2023 and the long weekend.

But, of course, in a bid to ensure a full workforce complement and maintain strict security protocols at the ports under its jurisdiction, the PPA has issued a "no leave policy" effective 25 October to 8 November in preparation for the influx of passengers due to Undas and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

In a memorandum issued on 23 October, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago instructed all PPA personnel to refrain from availing of leaves during this time when port services are mostly needed. The whole PPA workforce aims to carry out the huge responsibility of ensuring that the sea travel by the public will be convenient, safe and responsive.

This year's forecast of a 1,422,406 passenger traffic is 6 percent higher than the figure recorded in 2022, which was 1,337,396, mainly due to the relaxing of travel requirements after the pandemic. It is likewise significantly higher than the 500,000+ passengers recorded in 2020 covering the same dates.

Among the ports with the highest number of passengers recorded in 2022 were Iloilo, Batangas, Babak in Davao, Dumangas on Panay island, and the ports in Negros Occidental. Meanwhile, the influx of passengers is expected starting 28 October based on data gathered by PPA over the past years.

Speaking of passengers at port, we visited the ports of San Carlos and Banago in Bacolod last week where tourists had arrived for the Maskara Festival and the long weekend.

There we tried Negros' famous espresso with condensed milk and "sulot" (the only yummy sulot I've tried) which is a sweet rice delicacy, and binangkal which tasted just right and blended well  with the bitter raw chocolate from cacao beans prepared in front of us in a restaurant called Insikwate.

Near baseport Banago is Palawud, a restaurant serving seafood which is just five minutes from the port. Their rice is to die for and I'm not exaggerating. I'm not a fan of rice but their rice is a meal in itself. Ports in Negros/Bacolod are included, by the way, in the top 10 busiest ports during the peak season.

With all this, it is best for you, dear travelers, to plan your vacay early, devise an efficient travel itinerary, and look for a reliable travel setup by getting advice from locals who know pretty much the yearly clatter.

Check with your shipping lines on valuable information like times of departure so you  can have a lot of ample time to prepare and get to the port. Ensure that you already have your tickets, my dear. Don't rush to get one at the port while streams of people are arriving like sea waves. Stress is waving, my friend. Don't do that.

Do not bring bladed weapons or pointed objects that can be utilized as weapons. Do not bring any contraband like drugs or other prohibited items. Check the list for that. Your shipping lines and the PPA staff will tell you what you can and cannot carry in the vessels. Especially, don't bring guns! It is election period, my dear! Prison is waving. Avoid that, folks!

Friends, you can check PPA's social media pages for hourly updates or inquire via the PPA hotline operating 24/7 for any port-related questions at number (02) 8711-2360.

So enjoy the long weekend and be happy traveling with your loved ones!

Of course we will meet there and we will be making the sojourn together because…

…you are right, my dear, we are in the same boat.