Over 500,000 travel by sea to provinces for Lent - PCG

MANILA, Philippines - More than half a million passengers have used sea ports to go to the provinces for the Holy Week break last weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Tuesday.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said a total of  550,311 since Friday have already used the ports to their respective destinations in the country for the Lenten break.

"So tuloy pa rin ang mga kabayan natin sa pagbyahe.In fact, kahapon hanggang 11 a.m.,nakapagtala na po ang Philippine Coast Guard ng 54,450 na gumamit ng sasakyang pangdagat. Aside 'yan from the number na naitala namin yung weekend na nag total 550, 311 mula Friday, Saturday at Sunday," Balilo said in a radio interview.

Balilo said the PCG is expecting that the number of inter-island travel or trips would continue to increase from today until Thursday.

"Expected itong Wednesday na darami ang mga inter island travel. Ito'y sinusubaybayan nating mabuti at parati nating tinitiyak na may seguridad at safety ng mga pasahero ay palaging nandyan," he said, noting that the PCG units all over country have been put on heightened alert since Friday.

Last year, the PCG recorded a total of 442,000 passengers who left the ports all over the country during the Holy Week.

Meanwhile, Balilo said the PCG has been continuously reminding the public to be vigilant during their trips to their respective provinces.

"Palagi nating paalala...na vigilant ka pa rin sa yong kapaligiran. Tignan mo pa rin yung mga signage ng barko, yung exit points, kung saaan nakalagay yung life jackets yung rafts at palaging makinig sa instructions ng kapitan ng barko," he said.