Tara, travel

Happy love month, folks! Yes, I know Valentine’s Day was yesterday but it is never too late to send you guys some love. After all, love should not only be felt on a particular day but also all year long. It’s a life-long commitment and shared responsibility to be celebrated every day.

Celebrities and singers also celebrated their special day on 14 February such as "Angels" and "She's the One" hitmaker Robbie Williams, famous Kpop star Jaehyun, and of course local politicians and personalities like former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile who turned 100, the queen of all media and talk show host Kris Aquino, and one whose name says it all, the fashion icon Heart Evangelista.

So for those taken…for granted (Let's go, girl, sing: "I can buy myself flowers"); taken by the ones they truly love (lucky for you); taken over by their jobs (workaholic guilty); almost taken (friend-zoned), waiting to be taken (never say never); assumed to be taken (victims of ghosting); and those who aren't taken seriously (there's always the next life), well, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Of course, taken or not, travel should not be a problem — instead it should be a solution! A solution to get away from stress and unwind your mind from the everyday hustle and bustle of work.

Did you know that according to an article in National Geographic, travel should be considered an essential human activity? We are a naturally adaptive species and we move to hunt, gather food, build a life, and seek better opportunities outside our nests.

According to the Department of Tourism, as of February, the Philippines is expecting 4.8 million tourists. This is a great opportunity for the local communities to rebound after the pandemic.

When you travel this love month via the seaports, the Philippine Ports Authority has prepared something for you, single or not.

Last month, the international cruise ship MV Vasco Da Gama, owned by the German cruise line Nicko Cruises, docked at four terminals under the Philippine Ports Authority between 6 and 10 January. The Vasco Da Gama carried no less than 650 passengers, mostly Germans, and had a crew of 500, including over 150 Filipinos.

Departing from Hong Kong, the ship made its initial Philippine stop at Manila South Harbor on 6 January. It sailed smoothly and docked in Coron and Puerto Princesa in Palawan before its final stop on 10 January in Bohol, which has been named the Philippines' first UNESCO Global Geopark. After the four-day visit, the Vasco Da Gama set sail for Indonesia and Australia.

In 2023, over 80,000 cruise passengers on ships belonging to such companies as Norweigan Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Silversea, Windstar Cruises, and AIDA visited the Philippines, which has been recognized as the Best Cruise Destination in Asia by the World Cruise Award.

When you travel this love month via the seaports, the Philippine Ports Authority has prepared something for you, single or not. At the ports of Negros and Bacolod, chocolates are given to passengers as sweet treats; at the Port Management Office in Davao, "love shots" in the form of free flu shots are given to keep you free from sickness, oh so sweet! At the port of Agusan, Love Month is celebrated with the launch of PMOS Cares, a mental health program for employees because our mental health is as important as our physical health.

Love for the environment was demonstrated at the ports of Bataan and Aurora where they collected 1,400 kilos of garbage in a coastal clean-up to help protect the communities around the ports.

This year, the PPA is expecting an 89 percent increase in cruise ship passengers or around 165,000 more tourists. Per PPA's initial data, cruise ships will be arriving at NCR South, Panay-Guimaras, Palawan, Northern Luzon, Bohol, Misamis and Eastern Leyte-Samar.

Speaking of service and travel, Port Users and Locators Satisfaction Outlook, or PULSO, may be accessed through 128 kiosks deployed in various PPA ports nationwide. This is a digital touchscreen TV system that will allow port users and stakeholders to submit feedback on port services and facilities. So the next time you arrive at the ports, be sure to check out "PULSO, serbisyo mula sa PUSO" and give the PPA some feedback and some love.

After all, we are in the same boat navigating through the seas of love and paradise — the Philippine islands.