Passengers who have been complaining of congestion and long queues during peak seasons will now experience a relaxed domestic sea voyage, as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally unveiled the Batangas Port Passenger Terminal Building on Friday.
The expanded passenger terminal building has an 8,000-passenger capacity from the previous 2,500 and has fully airconditioned lounges, facilities for the elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs), six baggage x-ray machines, 10 walkthrough metal detectors, food concession stands, and 52 extensive CCTV coverage.
The new and improved passenger terminal building in Batangas is now the largest and most modern in the ports managed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) under its terminal operator, Asian Terminal Incorporated (ATI).
"This new and expanded passenger terminal building is just one of the many projects of PPA. These projects translate to quality service that every Filipino deserves and should truly benefit from," said PPA general manager Atty. Jay Daniel Santiago said in a speech during the opening.
Connecting mainland Luzon to Region IV-B or MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) to Visayas (Iloilo, Negros, and Cebu) and Mindanao via fast crafts, ferries, and roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships, the Batangas Port plays a significant role in stimulating the nation's economy as a portal to agricultural areas, a gateway to island tourism destinations, and a hub for goods and other products.
Planning for the Batangas PTB modernization started in 2020.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, construction began in 2021 and Phase 1 was completed in 2022.
Phase 2 was finished in the first quarter of 2024.
