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Absence of online booking in some terminals irks ports chief amid Holy Week rush

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Raphael Bosano, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News/File." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/04/05/20220614-port-of-batangas-jc-15.jpg"/><figcaption>Travelers enter the upgraded Integrated Passenger Terminal Building of the Port of Batangas in Batangas City, on June 14, 2022. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATE</strong>) — The chief of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has expressed frustration with the absence of an online booking system among some shipping lines amid the expected arrival of more travelers this Holy Week.</p><p>&quot;I’m trying to hide my frustration because I feel for those (travelers) na bumibiyahe,&quot; said PPA General Manager Jay Santiago as he described the situation at the ticketing area of the Batangas Passenger Terminal on Holy Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;Basta ang sagot nila down &#x27;yung online system ng ibang shipping lines and most of the other shipping lines wala naman talagang online ticketing system or platform to begin with. So talagang mano-mano,&quot; he added.</p><p>(They said the online system of other shipping lines is down, and most of the other shipping lines do not have an online ticketing system or platform, to begin with. So it&#x27;s really manual.)</p><p>The absence of an online booking system among some shipping lines has resulted in long lines of passengers forming at the ticketing area of the newly constructed terminal building. </p><p>Santiago said if only ticketing was assisted with online options, some passengers would be able to head straight to the pre-departure areas and boarding.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2572233" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar"><em>A seemingly endless line of passengers head to the boarding gate at the Batangas Passenger Terminal. Raphael Bosano, ABS-CBN News.</em></div><p>&quot;That’s not the case also, hindi naman sila nag-a-allow ng advance purchase of tickets and for those naman na may previously nakakuha ng e-ticket, kailangan mong pumila ulit para ma-issue-han ng panibagong ticket together with those na walang ticket. Magche-check in ka lang eh kailangan mong pumila ulit,&quot; he said.</p><p>(That&#x27;s not the case either, they don&#x27;t allow the advance purchase of tickets and for those who may have previously obtained an e-ticket, you will have to queue to get a new ticket together with those who don&#x27;t have a ticket. Just need to check in but you&#x27;ll have to queue again.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2572246" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Port authorities have consistently advised the public to plan their trips ahead of time. </p><p>Some heeded the advice and left their homes in Metro Manila in the wee hours of the morning. But they were greeted by long lines and were only able to get hold of the tickets a couple of hours later.</p><p>The PPA said it has informed the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) which has jurisdiction over shipping lines about the situation, saying it &quot;can only do so much.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Marami tayong challenges sa proseso sa sistema. And we want to help make travel as comfortable as possible but there are challenges beyond our control,&quot; Santiago said.</p><p>(We have a lot of challenges in the system. And we want to help make travel as comfortable as possible but there are challenges beyond our control.)</p><p>In a statement, Marina said it is now taking steps to address the situation at the Batangas port.</p><p>&quot;To this end, we have issued a relaxation order valid from 26 March to 23 April 2023, which allows ships to immediately depart once their maximum authorized passenger and/or cargo capacities are attained. This will help to reduce waiting time for passengers and ensure speedy transportation,&quot; the agency said.</p><p>Marina said it has ordered its Regional Office IV (MRO 4) to coordinate with shipping companies in Batangas Port. </p><p>Marina added it &quot;strongly encourage[s]&quot; shipping companies to offer online booking services to their passengers to minimize queuing time and improve the passenger experience.</p><div><strong>E-TICKETING SYSTEM</strong></div><p>A unified electronic ticketing system, Santiago said, has been piloted. </p><p>However, last July, the contract was terminated by the new PPA administration as explained by Santiago.</p><p>The deployment of ambulant tellers or ticketing staff has been among the calls of port management to ease congestion in the ticketing area. A staff of a shipping line said the bottleneck happens when passengers fill out the manifesto.</p><p>&quot;Ginagawa natin, pinu-push natin na ma-revive &#x27;yung initiative na ito para din sa benepisyo ng mga kababayan natin dahil year in year out, hindi lang once every year, at least 3, Holy Week, Undas, Pasko palagi na lang gano&#x27;n ang problema. Dekada na ang problema kailangan hanapan na natin ng solusyon &#x27;yan,&quot; Santiago said.</p><p>(What we are doing, we&#x27;re pushing to revive this initiative for the benefit of our countrymen because year in and year out, not just once every year, at least 3, Holy Week, Undas, Christmas this is always the problem. We have been trying to solve this problem for decades.)</p><p>In a statement, Philippine Inter-island Shipping Association (PISA) President Mark Matthew Parco said that the online ticketing system of their members is working.</p><p>&quot;PISA member lines have and continue to enhance their systems to provide seamless online/electronic purchase of passenger tickets that are user-friendly and accessible for a worry-free travel experience especially as the nation observes the Holy Week,&quot; the statement read.</p><p>&quot;Inuulit ko po, walang &#x27;first come, first served&#x27; na polisiyang pinapatupad ang mga shipping lines,&quot; Santiago said.</p><p>(I repeat: There&#x27;s no &quot;first come, first served&quot; policy being implemented by the shipping lines.)</p><p>Because of the long queue experienced at the Batangas Passenger Terminal, the PPA appealed to those planning to head to different provinces, including those who will bring their vehicles aboard vessels, to exercise patience.</p><p>&quot;It’s still a ticketing problem,&quot; Santiago said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/30/23/ph-ports-brace-for-22-million-passengers-this-holy-week-ppa">Philippine ports brace for 2.2 million passengers this Holy Week, says PPA</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/31/23/holy-week-exodus-ramdam-na-sa-ilang-terminal">&#x27;Holy week&#x27; exodus ramdam na sa ilang terminal</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2571276" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The chief of the Philippine Ports Authority has expressed frustration with the absence of an online booking system among some shipping lines amid the expected arrival of more travelers this Holy Week.

Absence of online booking in some terminals irks ports chief amid Holy Week rush

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Absence of online booking in some terminals irks ports chief amid Holy Week rush

Raphael Bosano,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 05, 2023 03:09 PM PHT

|

Updated Apr 05, 2023 06:08 PM PHT

Read More:

Holy Week Exodus

Holy Week

Semana Santa

online ticketing

Batangas Passenger Terminal

Batangas

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