4.6M port passengers expected as Christmas exodus begins

Police and other law enforcement agencies have intensified the security measures in all transportation hubs across the country for the Christmas exodus, especially in seaports where at least 4.6 million passengers are expected to converge during the entire Holiday season.

- BY AARON RECUENCO and MARTIN SADONGDONG

Lawyer Jay Daniel Santiago, general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), said the expected passengers for the Christmas season this year is higher compared to last year with 4.4 million recorded passengers from the same period of Dec. 15 to Jan. 5.

"For this year, we are expecting 4.6 million passengers. We are expecting an increase of 250,000 to 300,000 additional passengers compared to last year," said Santiago, who is scheduled to inspect the Batangas Port, one of the country's busiest ports, on Monday, Dec. 22.

With the expected huge volume of passengers, Santiago said he already instructed all Port Management Offices across the country to cancel all the leaves of absence of all personnel in PPA-managed and supervised ports across the country, especially those involved in operation and other frontline services.

At least 3,000 port police personnel and augmentation forces that include personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard, the Maritime Group of the Philippine National Police (PNPMG) and security guards, were also placed on heightened alert for the entire duration of Holiday season to ensure passenger safety.

"We are in full manpower complement from December 15 to January 5, including Coast Guard and Maritime Group, in all PPA-controlled and managed ports all over the Philippines. And as an additional measure which we have been doing in the past, all leaves will not be allowed for our people who perform frontline services," said Santiago.

"We are very confident because all our personnel already know what to do, including the standard operating procedures in any untoward incident," he added.

For instance, he said food packs, sufficient drinking water and medical-related matters are on standby for emergency purposes.

Santiago said they already asked the shipping lines to ensure a sufficient number of ships to meet the demand of huge passenger volume during the Christmas season.