Happy first day of the month, dear readers!

The first day of the month means something different for every person. For some women, it means moving on from a bad relationship and having a haircut; for some guys it means making that first move on their crush; for a couple starting a family, it could mean buying a new house; for some workers, it might mean reaping the fruits and getting paid for their hard work; for some students, it could be deadlines for some assigned reports.

Well, one thing for sure for all of us — the first day of the month of November is All Saints' Day, or Undas as we call it.

This is the only first day of the month that we all have one thing in common — remembering our departed loved ones.

It is a long weekend since Undas comes back to back with the Barangay and SK Elections (which was generally peaceful, according to Comelec). This has given people time to go home to their provinces, exercise their right to vote and visit the graves of their loved ones.

This also means that the travel season taking off from land terminals, airports, and seaports is on. With restrictions more relaxed after the pandemic, travel statistics are going back to pre-pandemic levels.

Speaking of the high volume of passengers, this is evident at seaports where 1.4 million passengers are expected from 27 October – 5 November, or 6 percent more than the previous year.

The Batangas port topped the port of Iloilo with the most number of passengers this year. So how's the experience of passengers at the Batangas Port? Oops! Now we're talking….

At the Batangas port, some irritated passengers went ranting on social media about their unpleasant experience after booking online through a shipping line's website and still having to fall in line at the port. That is really sad. Apparently the ship company's online ticketing system was not working.

Passengers heed the call to book passage online to avoid long queues and enjoy seamless travel, but that was not the case for one passenger whose post reached thousands of netizens.

She narrated how after paying for their tickets online, her family still had to endure a long queue, only to be told by the shipping lines staff that the ship was overbooked and that they could not be accommodated.

I mean, come on, imagine if that was you or your loved ones? I would have lost my patience as well.

It is peak season and the government agencies concerned announced what to expect weeks and even months before, so what is the excuse of these shipping lines? Too few vessels? Ships undergoing repair? What about overbooking? 

Then there's this unreliable online booking system that has become a double whammy for tired travelers.

Is there anyone or a governing body working to solve this decades-long problem of overbooking and the poor ticketing system of shipping lines?

Who watches over them and who is in charge of reprimanding these shipping lines every time they cancel, overbook, or keep passengers waiting too long for the next ship? Who holds these shipping lines accountable for their actions?

Well, your guess is as good as mine but it is definitely not the Philippine Ports Authority, which is in charge of passengers only at the ports.

Several months ago, we called the attention of shipping lines to act ahead of the peak season and not wait for such incidents to happen but here we are again calling their attention.

What about the Philippine Ports Authority, or PPA?

Well, folks, PPA's hands are tied, as it is not its mandate to control the shipping lines, but of course we care so much about the passengers, especially since they are the ones using our ports.

As I was writing this column, a 26-year-old passenger of a big shipping line fell overboard as the vessel he was in was traversing the Batangas-Bacolod route.  A search and rescue operation is being conducted and it is our prayer and fervent hope that the person will be found safe and sound. Whether it was an accident or not, shipping lines must install safety features to protect their passengers.

The PPA has done its part by constructing new ports and renovating old ones to provide safe and comfortable terminals for passengers. The same cannot be said once passengers set foot on ships.

The experience of  passengers from booking their tickets at home, to standing in long lines to secure their tickets, to their safety at sea all point to one thing—the need for a better maritime transport system.

When God created our planet, He noticed that it was dark. He said: "Let there be light," and then there was light.

In the maritime transport sector, we need such light!

We need concerned government agencies to provide that light to guide shipping lines on how to do their business, and we need the shipping companies to be responsible enough to follow the light and care for their passengers.

Again, alone, we can do so little, but together we can do so much. The same old problems with the ships should be minimized until they are eradicated.

After all, what affects a single passenger traveling via sea also affects everyone…because we are all in the same boat.