Thousands flock in Cebu seaports; Shipping lines add special trips

DESPITE the summer heat, passengers waited in line just to avail of tickets for the next sea vessel home at Pier 3 yesterday.

Among them was 33-year-old Jerry Tolentino who secured three tickets for Bohol after an hour of waiting.

Tolentino, who lined-up at 12 noon yesterday complained of the heat and humidity while carrying their baggage together with his grade school son.

But she added, many were willing to wait for the next available trip just to go home for the long Holy Week holidays.

As of 12 noon yesterday, there were 7,000 outbound passengers and nearly 5,000 inbound passengers based on records of the Philippine Coast Guard–Cebu Station.

Security was not also compromised as baggage were scanned by X-ray machines before passengers are allowed entry into the passenger terminal.

One of the hitches however is the ongoing renovation of the passenger terminal in Pier 1, prompting passengers to undergo security check in Pier 3, before boarding buses to their respective ships.

The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) however assured that the passenger terminal in Pier 3 can accommodate the heavy influx of passengers.

There were some unlucky passengers who were unable to avail of tickets since the vessels were already fully-booked as declared by most of the shipping companies.

But Weniel Azcuna, station commander of PCG-Cebu assured that shipping companies are offering special trips to cater to other passengers today and Friday. Other shipping companies have added trips to Cagayan de Oro and Ozamis cities. ¨I think we have enough vessels to cater to the needs of our riding public,” Azcuna said.