Passengers bound for mainland Luzon wait in a long line outside the port of Calapan City on Tuesday, January 3, 2022. INQUIRER.net / Dennis Maliwanag
MANILA, Philippines — The holiday season is over, and passengers returning to their hometowns and workplaces were met with a kilometer-long line at the Calapan City Port, which posted 35,968 travelers as of Tuesday morning, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“Kapag holiday season po talaga or may mga long weekend, Holy Week po mga ganyan, ay dumadami din po talaga ang taong pumapasok at lumalabas po ng Calapan. Lalo po pag pabalik na sila sa kani-kanilang mga trabaho at pamilya sa labas po ng Oriental Mindoro,” Ram Joseph Peñena, chief of the Operations and Warning Division of Oriental Mindoro’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) told INQUIRER.net in an interview.
(During the holiday season or if there is a long weekend like during Holy Week, many people come in and out of Calapan. Especially if they are returning to their jobs or families outside of Oriental Mindoro).
Passengers bound for mainland Luzon wait in a long line outside the port of Calapan City on Tuesday, January 3, 2022. INQUIRER.net / Dennis Maliwanag
Passengers bound for mainland Luzon wait in a long line outside the port of Calapan City on Tuesday, January 3, 2022. INQUIRER.net / Dennis Maliwanag
As of 6:58 a.m. on Tuesday, the line at Calapan Port stretched to one kilometer, according to the Provincial Information Office of Oriental Mindoro.
Peñena also explained that Oriental Mindoro is a “strong nautical highway” that other provinces in the Visayas also utilize the port to reach their destinations in mainland Luzon.
The Strong Republic Nautical Highway is a project launched during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The project aimed to connect different islands through highways and ferry routes.
READ: Arroyo seeks Ro-Ro improvement in the Visayas
Peñena said that the long lines at Calapan Port could also be attributed to passenger terminals being under construction.
“Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa siya tapos kaya ‘yung tao po talaga makikita na nakapila po doon sa labas ng Calapan Port, dahil maliit po ‘yung area,” he noted.
(Until now, it is not finished, so the people can be seen lined up outside the Calapan Port because the area is small).
Passengers bound for mainland Luzon wait in a long line outside the port of Calapan City on Tuesday, January 3, 2022. INQUIRER.net / Dennis Maliwanag
The DOTr has reported that due to limited spaces available for the passengers, tents and canopies have been set up for those still lining up to get tickets for ferry or boat tickets. Senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and children also have designated areas set up by its attached agency, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
“Inilaan na rin ng PPA ang lahat ng parking space sa opisina nito upang [maging] himpilan ng mga priority passengers,” said the DOTr.
(The PPA has also designated all its office parking spaces as the area for priority passengers.)
The PPA said in a Facebook post that as of December 29, 2022, all ports across the country registered a total of 71,094 passengers. It added that this number would likely swell at the start of January when vacationers are expected to return to their hometowns and workplaces.
RELATED STORIES
Ports record 50,000 passengers; year’s total may reach 57 million
PCG logs 907,429 outbound, 797,404 inbound travelers so far as holiday nears