During critical periods such as this Holy Week break, the most common sight at the ports is the buildup of passengers, while during the festive Holiday Season the same is true for cargo.

Shipping lines want to “see and feel” the need before they deploy vessels to ensure they would make a profit with each trip.

Thus maritime companies need to see people lining up or sleeping at the ports and cargo piling up, partly because electronic systems are non-existent at the harbors.

The need for electronic ticketing is urgent, especially during peak seasons like Holy Week when ports like Batangas brace for 20,000 to 25,000 passengers daily, amid a projected 1.73-million travelers nationwide.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has pushed for an e-ticketing system to tackle the chaos of manual processes, long queues, missed trips, and, worse, safety risks from overloading.

Shipping lines’ reluctance to deploy additional vessels, claiming they need to “see and feel” the demand, highlights the outdated systems stifling efficiency and causing unnecessary hardship to passengers and extra costs to businesses.

E-ticketing would streamline passenger bookings and cargo scheduling, giving real-time data to align vessel capacity with demand. This could nudge operators to commit resources proactively instead of reactively.

For cargo, where 272-million metric tons moved through the ports in 2023, digital ticketing would cut delays and congestion, especially for time-sensitive goods.

The PPA’s stalled Electronic Terminal Management System and Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) are necessary to make port processes efficient.

The TOP-CRMS is designed to track containers and reduce logistical costs, showcasing the PPA’s digital ambitions.

Approved by the Anti-Red Tape Authority in 2023, TOP-CRMS aims to replace hefty container deposits of P10,000 to P30,000 with a P980 fee, easing the burden on truckers and importers.

However, its rocky rollout underscores a resistance to change, much like the e-ticketing push.

TOP-CRMS could pave the way for broader digital adoption, proving that modernization is feasible and essential.

Shipping lines’ hesitation reflects a broader aversion to upfront investment, whether in vessels or systems like e-ticketing.

Pilot successes in Batangas and Calapan showed that the infrastructure and demand for digital solutions are essential to making port services safer, faster and fairer.

The buildup during peak periods, which seems to be encouraged by service operators to determine demand, isn’t a surprise — it’s a signal to modernize.

In 2023, Philippine ports handled roughly 272-million metric tons of cargo, much of it through the maritime route.

Without digital ticketing, tracking and prioritizing cargo, especially perishables, remain a logistical nightmare.

The atrocious logic of “seeing and feeling” demand shows a lack of concern in favor of ensuring a return on investment.

Inconvenience would be avoided since passenger and cargo volumes spike predictably during Christmas and Lent which happen at definite periods every year.

If shipping lines could see 90 percent of their tickets sold weeks in advance, for instance, scaling up would be required. Digital tools remove guesswork, aligning supply with demand.

Critics may argue that e-ticketing imposes upfront costs on cash-strapped operators or risks alienating less tech-savvy passengers, but such concerns pale in comparison to the benefits.

The reluctance to modernize reflects a broader malaise, a preference for short-term savings over long-term gains. Shipping lines’ wait-and-see approach to new vessels mirrors their resistance to digital ticketing. However, that should not hold sway over the government’s pursuit of digitalization.

Employing technology is necessary considering that maritime transport is the lifeblood of this island-nation. Safer, faster, and fairer sea travel and cargo transport are required.

The PPA’s push is a step forward, but without an industry buy-in, it risks being another missed departure, which the country has had enough of.