Nearly 5 million passengers in seaports for holidays

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) expects to close the Christmas season facilitating the travel of close to 4.6 million Filipinos who went to their holiday destinations by sea.

Between Jan. 3 and 5, the PPA projects about 674,000 Filipinos to flock to the ports to return home from their respective holidays.

So far, since Dec. 15, 2024, the PPA has tallied more than 3.6 million passengers traveling through the ports across the Philippines.

With this, the PPA forecasts passenger traffic to reach 4.59 million from Dec. 15, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025. When compared, this will be five percent higher from a year ago’s 4.39 million.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago said Filipinos made sure they get to their holiday destinations this time. He recalled that many passengers had to cancel travel plans during the Undas break, as Typhoon Leon battered the north of Luzon, making it perilous for vessels to sail.

“Perhaps many Filipinos failed to come home last Undas, and now that they have the opportunity they flocked to the ports,” Santiago said.

Santiago recognized that some ports are overcrowded, asking travelers to be patient when going to terminals, as he also demanded shipping lines to add more trips.

Currently, the PPA is on heightened alert for the surge in return trips, and it has assigned at least 3,000 personnel in ports to monitor the safety and security of passengers.

Santiago also reminded passengers to comply with the rules and regulations of ports, particularly on carrying dangerous items onboard. He said that queues   become longer when travelers insist on bringing in banned goods.

Throughout the holiday stretch, Santiago said PPA personnel were able to confiscate flammable items and sharp objects. On New Year’s Eve, the agency seized firecrackers from one passenger who tried sneaking them in at the Port of Dumangas in Iloilo.

Based on available data, Santiago said the ports in Batangas, Bohol, Davao, Negros Oriental and Bicol have recorded the highest number of passengers so far during the holiday season.

For 2025, the PPA expects more Filipinos to travel by sea, as the government completes new port infrastructure in the regions.