On Christmas weekend, passengers crowd into airports, bus terminals

As Filipinos prepare for the long Christmas weekend, thousands of passengers trooped to airports and bus terminals to get a ride home to their provinces to be with their families during Christmas. In a report at GMA News Tv’s “Quick Response Team,” Julius Segovia on Friday reported that some 45,000 passengers arrived and departed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 this holiday season. The number was higher than what was recorded in same period last year. “Paalala sa mga pasahero na dapat dumating sila talong oras bago ang flight, ‘wag magdala ng pointed objects, liquid at gels, at flammable materials,” Segovia added. In a separate television report on Saturday, JP Soriano reported that the Araneta Center Bus Terminal in Cubao served around 10,000 passengers on Saturday alone. Around 350 buses were coming in and out of the various bus terminals in Cubao. Although some bus companies added more buses to accommodate more passengers, travelers are still stuck at terminals due to heavy traffic, Soriano reported on GMA News Tv’s “Balitanghali.” “Fully booked na ang ilang biyahe papuntang Bicol at Visayas. Sa katunayan, pansamantalang huminto sa pag-issue ng ticket ang ilang bus company dahil hindi sila makapag-commit ng karagdagang biyahe,” he noted. “Pero ayon sa management ng terminal, pwede rin naman daw makaalis ang mga kailangan talaga at gusto bumiyahe dahil marami pang  (ordinary) bus.  ‘Yun nga lang hindi na ito air condition,” Soriano added. — Rouchelle R. Dinglasan /LBG, GMA News