PPA reviving online ticketing for domestic shipping lines
Previous PPA management scrapped the electronic terminal management system which includes online booking of sea travelers
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Previous PPA management scrapped the electronic terminal management system which includes online booking of sea travelers
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The Philippine Ports Authority’s (PPA) shelved online ticketing system for sea travelers meant to minimize queuing of passengers in ports is making a comeback after Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon directed PPA to revisit its implementation.
“With this new directive, the PPA is hopeful that it will be able to finally implement its electronic terminal management system (ETMS) in order to provide a more efficient, transparent and convenient manner for passengers to book their sea travels,” PPA general manager Atty. Jay Daniel Santiago said in a Viber interview on Wednesday.
The ETMS was suspended by the Department of Transportation under then Secretary Jimmy Bautista in September 2022 and totally scrapped by the PPA Board in 2023.
PPA Administrative Order 12-2019 issued in November 2019 provides the rules for implementing a central ticketing system, an online application procedure that would support an integrated vessel booking, and a payment system for roll-on/roll-off ports.
The ETMS aims to “provide a digitized and systematized process of recording and simultaneous submission of passenger manifest and vessel voyage information which can effectively be scaled and extended to support future phases of the terminal management process at the PPA port terminals.”
With the upcoming Lenten break, Santiago said they expect passenger traffic in all ports, including Batangas Port, to start ramping up on 12 April.
Last year, the PPA reported that over 144,000 passengers traveled through the Batangas Port during the observance of the Holy Week last year.
For years, voyagers have been airing rants over social media during long holiday breaks, namely Lenten and Christmas Season, as they have to painstakingly wait long hours in queues to get vessel tickets to their respective destinations.
Santiago has been hitting local shipping companies for not getting onboard an online ticketing system and still selling tickets at the port, causing commotions and grueling hours of waiting for passengers to secure tickets.
On Tuesday, Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator Sonia Malaluan inspected vessels at Batangas Port to ensure strict adherence to maritime safety regulations.
“Safety is non-negotiable. With the expected surge of passengers this Holy Week, we are doubling our efforts to ensure that vessels are compliant with safety protocols and ready to transport passengers safely and efficiently,” Malaluan said in a statement.
Malaluan also met with key officials from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District Southern Tagalog Headquarters under District Commander Geronimo Tuvilla to discuss inter-agency efforts of ensuring passenger safety and vessel compliance, reaffirming Marina’s strong partnership with the PCG in maritime enforcement and safety initiatives.
Asked if the Marina imposed a mandate for domestic vessels to activate or invest in the online ticketing system to better serve vessel passengers, the Marina office said there was none.
“There is no order from Marina for a mandatory online booking system. Our appeal is for passengers to plan their trips and get their tickets early. To date, some shipping companies have an online ticketing system in place,” a staff of Marina said.
