Noy urges gov't agencies to ensure hazard-free Lenten season

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday called concerned government agencies to ensure their readiness to implement their respective tasks and missions in attaining an accident and hazard-free Lenten season.

“The President wants to make sure that everything is in order. He wants to see for himself that the preparations are in place and that all the agencies are doing what they are supposed to be doing,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

Valte said the President is set to inspect bus terminals, seaports and airports to ensure the safety of the public and tourists, especially those going to the provinces.

Apart from the terminals, Aquino reminded the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies to secure churches, places of worship, vital installations, embassies, tourist spots, malls, commercial establishments and other public places.

“There is the PNP, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Transportation and Communications, Public Works and Highways to ensure the safety of the traveling public going to and from Metro Manila,” Valte said.

Valte urged the public to take note of emergency hotlines.

“You will need these in case you need assistance, they are there to help you,” she said.

The Philippine Coast Guard, on the other hand, urged travelers during the Holy Week to be wary of “colorum” sea vessels.

Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Commander Algier Ricafrente cautioned travelers to only ride the vessels with proper permits and not the colorum or fly by night ships.

He noted that most passengers, in their hurry to reach their destinations, might just board any vessel available.

“We are monitoring the situation right now, especially that thousands of passengers are already pouring in to the port terminals,” Ricafrente said.

Ricafrente also noted the upsurge of colorum vessels operating along the port terminals in the southern part of the country, particularly in the Visayas region.

“As far as we are concerned, those fly-by-night inter-island shipping vessels didn’t have any insurance for their passengers and most of them have defective life rafts and life vests,” he said.

“Most of the shipping lines reported to us that they are now already fully-booked for both Holy Week and summer festivities. Based on data they have submitted to us yesterday, the number of passengers this vacation time went up by around 40 to 80 percent,” he added. – With Evelyn Macairan