Holiday exodus at PITX starts

The annual holiday exodus has begun at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), with passenger numbers steadily climbing as travelers head to the provinces ahead of Christmas.

According to a 24 Oras Weekend report by JP Soriano, more than 140,000 passengers had already passed through PITX as of 5 p.m. on Saturday, as commuters rushed to catch last-minute trips on the final weekend before Christmas.

PITX management said passenger volume is expected to rise further in the coming days, with the terminal preparing to accommodate up to three million travelers from December 19 to January 3.

On Friday alone, PITX recorded more than 186,000 passengers, signaling the early start of peak holiday travel.

“Abalang-abala pa rin tayo sa pag-aasikaso sa ating mga pasahero upang masiguro na magiging ligtas, maayos, at komportable ang kanilang paglalakbay ngayong Pasko,” PITX Corporate Affairs and Government Relations head Jason Salvador said in a dzBB interview on Saturday.

(We remain fully focused on assisting our passengers to ensure their travel this Christmas is safe, orderly, and comfortable.)

Salvador said PITX has heightened security and safety measures to manage the influx of travelers.

“Bukod sa 24-hour PNP contingent dito, bina-beef up din natin ang sarili nating security. Nagtalaga rin tayo ng non-uniform personnel para magbantay ng mga kahina-hinalang kilos sa loob ng PITX,” he added.

(Aside from the 24-hour PNP contingent, PITX has reinforced its own security and deployed non-uniformed personnel to monitor suspicious behaviour inside the terminal.)

While most bus trips departing from PITX are already fully booked for the next few days, trips from terminals along EDSA Cubao were still available on Saturday morning.

Passengers bound for Samar and Leyte crowded terminals along P. Tuazon, while fewer passengers were seen heading to Iloilo at the Iloilo Northbound Terminal in Iloilo City.

Meanwhile, Batangas Port reported serving more than 800 passengers on Saturday, while the Philippine Coast Guard said passenger numbers are expected to rise further in the coming days.

Traffic along the South Luzon Expressway was generally light on Saturday morning, except for slow-moving sections in Laguna and Batangas.—Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/MCG, GMA Integrated News