Holy Week rush at Batangas Port 'more manageable’ this year

Even as passengers formed long lines at the Batangas Port, officials said the Holy Week rush is less congested this year. 

In Dano Tingcungco’s 24 Oras report on Holy Wednesday, port authorities said that despite the volume of travelers, the situation is more manageable this year thanks to earlier departures and improved crowd control measures.

To ease congestion outside the terminal, management allowed passengers to pay the ?30 terminal fee even without a confirmed boat ticket. This gave them access to the pre-departure lounge, where they could wait in better conditions while finalizing their travel plans.

Trips to popular destinations such as Caticlan, Culasi, Roxas City via Romblon, and Sibuyan remain fully booked. Still, Batangas Port Operations Manager Joselito Sinocruz says the crowd is lighter than expected on Holy Wednesday.

“Buti inagahan ng iba, hindi na sabay-sabay sa mamayang rush hour. Kaya kayang-kaya,” Sinocruz said, adding that many passengers already left as early as Saturday—unlike in past years when most traveled in the middle of Holy Week.

(It’s a good thing others traveled earlier, so they didn’t all leave during the expected rush hour later. That’s why this is still very manageable.) 

By dawn, long lines of vehicles had already formed outside the port waiting to board roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ferries. By 9 a.m., however, the lines had cleared.

Some travelers, like friends Rose and Seychelles from Laguna, chose to leave their vehicles at the port parking lot and take the fastcraft instead. Although the parking cost them ?200 more than boarding a RORO (roll on-roll off) ferry, it saved them from the long wait.

“Stranded din po yung mga kotse po, ang haba po ng pila kaya nag online booking po sila ate para po sa parking po,” said Seychelles.

(The cars were stranded, there were long lines, so my sister availed the online booking for the parking spot.) 

Inside the passenger terminal, ticket booths were busy throughout the day. Some travelers simply sat wherever they could find a spot to rest while waiting for their trips. —Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News