Port travelers may be fewer than expected amid oil price effects —PPA

The volume of passengers at the ports for Holy Week may not reach the projected 2.46 million due to the effect of the oil price hikes, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said Wednesday.

At the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, PPA spokesperson Eunice Samonte said the PPA had anticipated a 1.70% increase from 2025’s 2.41 million passengers.

However, the effects of the oil price hikes as a result of the Middle East conflict have significantly reduced the number of travelers at the sea ports.

“As of Palm Sunday hanggang ngayon, mayroon na po tayong more than half a million passengers,” said Samonte.

(As of Palm Sunday until now, we have had more than half a million passengers.)

The PPA will continue to monitor designated ports in the country, she added. These include Batangas Port, Calapan Port, as well as ports in Panay-Guimaras and Iloilo.

“Ang directive po sa atin ni PPA General Manager Jay Santiago ay actually full manpower sa lahat po ng ating pantalan nationwide, so wala pong mga day off muna sa mga personnel dahil ito yung pinakadagsahan ng mga tao sa ating mga pantalan also, ang ating pong security measures ay may mas pinahigpit,” she said.

(PPA General Manager Jay Santiago has issued a directive for full manpower on all ports nationwide, so there’s no day offs for our personnel for now as this is the peak travel period of passengers along our ports, and also our security measures have become tighter.) — BM, GMA News