Of birth pains and self-entitlement

In retrospect, it does seem that the so-called "Pinoy Pride" is often misunderstood by many Filipinos as a sort of entitlement. A sense of entitlement is the belief that we can have what we want even if we don't deserve it. And that is one of the causes of our problems.

Much had been said about the isolated incident involving the more than 2,500 passengers of the MV Norwegian Jewel that docked at the Port of Manila in November, with one Filipino passenger describing his experience as "sad, pitiful and traumatic."

While another complained, "Upon disembarkation, we were led to an open parking space where we could pick up our luggage, exposed to the midday searing heat. No porters or luggage carts were provided. I think there were approximately 20 porters to service 2,500 passengers, mostly seniors with full luggage. You had to retrieve your bags in an open car park with an uneven surface and negotiate a narrow, congested walkway moving inch by inch with potholes, pushing or pulling your luggage which was a big challenge. Congestion was inevitable."

While the complaints seemed valid, they also showed pridefulness and arrogance, as if they expected to be spoon-fed. Can't you be responsible for your luggage or walk a little to get under a shade?

The Facebook posts completely disregarded the hard work of the government that allowed the Philippines to clinch the title of Asia's Best Cruise Destination 2023 at the prestigious World Cruise Awards.

In truth, the cumbersome process of embarkation and disembarkation is not unique to the Philippines but is one of the critical passenger pain points in the cruise tourism space globally.

Thousands of passengers go through port terminals during boarding, which involves security checks, passing through X-ray machines and metal detectors, and showing documents, including tickets and passports.

Birth pains

The Philippine cruise tourism industry is still in its infancy. The sector was further stunted by Covid-19, with the past administration imposing one of the strictest travel restrictions in the world.

Fortunately, travel tourism has rebounded and continues to build momentum. The cruise tourism industry is showing steady growth, with the Philippines projecting some 128 ports of call or cruise calls in 2023 across 33 destinations across the country. These cruise ships were expected to bring more than 101,000 passengers and some 50,000 crew.

The numbers indicate enormous potential for the industry. Data from Statista showed revenue in the cruises market is projected to reach P1.43 billion ($25.86m) in 2023. It is expected to show an annual growth rate of 9.08 percent, resulting in a projected market volume of P2.21 billion ($39.93m) by 2028.

Other findings include: the number of users is expected to total 83,240 by 2028; user penetration is projected to be 0.05 percent in 2023 and 0.07 percent by 2028; the average revenue per user is expected to amount to $450; in the cruises market, 19 percent of total revenue will be generated through online sales by 2028; and in global comparison, most revenue will be generated in the United States ($12,500,000 or P693 million in 2023).

Asia's Best Cruise Destination

During the annual World Cruise Awards, the Philippines was recognized as Asia's Best Cruise Destination for the first time, reflecting a resounding global preference for its island destinations.

Other countries that vied for the award included India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Among the arriving cruise ships were the Seaborne Encore, Silver Shadow, MSC Poesia, Queen Elizabeth, Norwegian Jewel, Coral Adventure, MS Seven Seas Explorer, MS Star Breeze, Silver Whisper, Oceania Cruises, Aidabella, and the Blue Dream Cruise, which made its maiden voyage to the Philippines in November.

"With Boracay, Palawan and Siargao having recently garnered Conde Nast Travel's Best Islands in Asia Award, the Philippines' recognition as Asia's Best Cruise Destination complements and reaffirms our status as a must-visit destination for cruise enthusiasts. This prestigious award is not only a testament to the Philippines' allure as a cruise destination but also a validation of the collective dedication of the tourism industry and the Department of Tourism.

"This augurs well for our strategic objective to equalize tourism development as we spotlight lesser-known destinations by expanding our cruise tourism portfolio to include new tourism destinations in time. We are grateful that the country's potential to offer exceptional cruise experiences is now acknowledged on a global scale," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Daniel Santiago reported that around 1,000 foreign and local passengers aboard the MV AidaBella of Aida Cruises from Germany gifted themselves with a holiday treat as they visited Coron on Christmas Day to discover the natural wonders Palawan has to offer.

 With 1,994 German tourists and more than 600 Filipino, Indian, and German crew members, the MV AidaBella docked at the Port of Coron at around 7 in the morning on Christmas Day with no incident due to the smooth coordination between the cruise ship agents, terminal operator, transport services, shore excursion organizers and the PPA.

The Port of Coron is ready to accommodate up to 900 persons in its passenger terminal following a massive renovation completed early last year.

From a maximum of 250 passengers, GM Santiago said the port can now accommodate an additional 500 passengers, which could be expanded to 700 to 900 during the peak season.