Holy Week influx: 1.7M expected in seaports

About 1.73 million travelers are expected to flock to public ports nationwide as they take their Lenten break, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) forecasted on Tuesday.

The said numbers are 3.5 percent higher versus the 1.67 million passengers logged by PPA ports last year.

Based on its assessment for the “OPLAN Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa 2025” from 14 to 20 April, the PPA said the top five ports that will see a surged in vacationers are the Port Management Offices (PMO) of Batangas with around 20,000 to 25,000 daily average passengers; PMO Mindoro; PMO Panay/Guimaras, PMO Negros Oriental/ Siquijor and PMO Bohol.

In the first three weeks of March alone, passenger numbers have already reached 3,027,881 averaging 1,009,294 passengers per week.

For Holy Week, port passenger traffic is expected to peak, nearing pre-pandemic figures, with an estimated 1,729,426 travelers utilizing port facilities during the Lenten season.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago anticipates a substantial increase in passenger volume this year, compared to the same period last year as more Filipinos take advantage of sea travel to visit their provinces, pilgrimage sites and vacation spots.

“We are prepared for the increased number of passengers this Holy Week 2025, especially as the Lenten Season coincides with summer, most of our local travelers are really taking advantage of these long days of day-off and for some tourists, it is also a great time to explore our islands via sea travel,” Santiago said.

To serve the expected surge of passengers, the PPA has mobilized additional personnel and enhanced terminal operations across key ports that include optimizing passenger terminal facilities, ensuring the functionality of security and safety equipment, and deploying port police for crowd control and assistance.

In preparation for peak travel days, PPA has conducted maintenance checks on critical infrastructure, including standby generator sets for uninterrupted power supply, water systems and ventilation to mitigate the effects of El Niño and rising temperatures this summer.

“With the adequate manpower, appropriate facilities and backup systems placed in ports, we can assure the public that we are ready for the influx but then again, it is the peak season so we appeal to our passengers to book their tickets ahead of time and allow extra hours for travel going to the ports,” Santiago said.

Help desks have been established in major ports nationwide to address information concerns of travelers while port police and representatives from the Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority will be on duty.

For real-time updates on port operations and schedule of trips, passengers may visit the PPA’s official website www.ppa.com.ph, and follow its social media pages @PhilippinePortsAuthority or call PPA Helpdesk at (0632) 5-301-9453 up to 54.

The PPA is set to inspect Batangas Port today, 10 April.