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Some Holy Week travelers return early to metro to avoid rush

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Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- Vacationers who traveled to the provinces for the 2022 Holy Week break began returning to Metro Manila on Black Saturday, some to avoid the anticipated influx of people starting on Easter Sunday.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Over 27,000 passengers have passed through the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) as of 10am on Black Saturday.<br/><br/>Customer service says it’s about the usual foot traffic on regular working days, as many travelers are still on vacation.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SemanaSanta2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SemanaSanta2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/JYqt2IgY0u">pic.twitter.com/JYqt2IgY0u</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1515171827144073217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>At the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), Manila-based driver Allan Manalo rode a bus with his 10-year-old son to their hometown in San Jose, Batangas, after a 2-day stay with relatives of his late wife in Nueva Ecija.</p><p>Manalo said this was their first time to go on vacation there for 2 years since the pandemic began, a common story for many travelers this break.</p><p>“Gustong-gusto itong makita ng lolo niya. Masaya ring bakasyon,” he said, pointing to his kid.</p><p>(His grandpa wants to see him. The vacation was fun.) </p><p>He added the hot weather already made the trip uncomfortable, and expects it to be more so with additional people in public transport.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Many travelers in PITX this Black Saturday are workers traveling to &amp; from Metro Manila, accd’g to customer service.<br/><br/>However, some others are taking last-minute trips this weekend after having work during Maundy Thursday &amp; Good Friday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SemanaSanta2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SemanaSanta2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/RsIdtC9DU8">pic.twitter.com/RsIdtC9DU8</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1515203572975431685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“Kung makikipagsabayan ako bukas, sobra nang sikip. Kawawa naman ‘yong bata. Noong lumuwas kami papuntang Nueva Ecija, kawawa na ito, kasi matagal nang naghihintay, napakakapal ng tao.”</p><p>(It would be very packed if I insist on going home tomorrow. Poor kid, when we were off to Nueva Ecija, it was really bad for him, because of the long wait and the high volume of people.) </p><p>The PITX monitored more than 27,300 people in foot traffic at the terminal on Saturday morning.</p><p>PITX customer service personnel said this was closer to the number of passengers there on regular days rather than the spike of people before the break, which reached up to 100,000 people.</p><p>Many traveling at the terminal on Saturday were workers going to and from Metro Manila, according to the customer service staff. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bus travelers to &amp; from Pampanga &amp; Batangas arrive at the Araneta City Bus Station in Cubao, QC on Black Saturday. The terminal expects more people to arrive from the provinces on Easter Sunday.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SemanaSanta2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SemanaSanta2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/Td9FvN8J18">pic.twitter.com/Td9FvN8J18</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1515236358604083202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>There are fewer travelers during Black Saturday in the Araneta City Bus Station in Cubao, Quezon City, which only caters to trips to Pampanga and Batangas provinces.</p><p>Dispatchers expect an uptick in trips come Easter Sunday.</p><div><strong>DOMESTIC FLYERS NEARING PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, a number of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) also flew back from the provinces just before the return rush.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Irissa Medina &amp; her friends spent the week in Palawan to mark the memorial of Christ’s Passion. They flew back to Manila on Black Saturday because air fares on Easter Sunday were more expensive. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SemanaSanta2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SemanaSanta2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/n61tb7yl4n">pic.twitter.com/n61tb7yl4n</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1515225531301920768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Irissa Medina and her 2 friends spent the Holy Week in Palawan for a religious activity before returning to Manila via NAIA Terminal 3 on Saturday.</p><p>“Masaya. Nakapag-meditate kami kahit papano, malayo sa siyudad,” she said.</p><p>(It was fun. Somehow, we were able to meditate far away from the city.) </p><p>“Mahal na po ang flight para bukas, kaya ngayon na po kami nag-book.”</p><p>(Flights would be expensive tomorrow, so we booked for today.) </p><p>Meanwhile, at the NAIA Domestic Terminal 4, some travelers are just now flying to the provinces.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Even as travelers are starting to fly back to Manila, some are only now boarding planes for the provinces, such as here in NAIA 4.<br/><br/>One family said they are finally returning to Antique after 4 years, travel being easier now due to relaxed restrictions.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SemanaSanta2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SemanaSanta2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/bPJy2GQytW">pic.twitter.com/bPJy2GQytW</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1515261565964275713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>This would be Aina Silverio and her family’s first trip back home to Antique in 4 years.</p><p>She and her siblings had been unable to fly earlier during Holy Week because of work.</p><p>“Nagkaroon din po ng pandemic, saka mahirap maraming passes na kailangan asikasuhin bago makauwi. Mas maluwag na ‘di katulad dati,” she said.</p><p>(There was the pandemic, and there are so many passes to process before going home. Things were a lot looser now compared to before.) </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A number of travelers from the provinces have also flown back to Manila at the NAIA Terminal 3 a day before Easter Sunday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SemanaSanta2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SemanaSanta2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/QEHpkAZzYH">pic.twitter.com/QEHpkAZzYH</a></p>— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) <a href="https://twitter.com/anjo_bagaoisan/status/1515225187503198210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>The average number of arriving and departing passengers at the NAIA from April 12 to 15 is nearly 53,000, according to data from the Manila International Airport Authority.</p><p>This is nearly 16 percent less than the average number of passengers in the same period in 2019, before the pandemic</p><p>However, it is over 900% more than in 2021, when local travel had been limited by various restrictions.</p><p>Security personnel and police stationed in the various airports and terminals reported no untoward incidents during the break. </p><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-m3mWn859D4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>

Vacationers who traveled to the provinces for the 2022 Holy Week break began returning to Metro Manila on Black Saturday, some to avoid the anticipated influx of people starting on Easter Sunday.

Some Holy Week travelers return early to metro to avoid rush

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Some Holy Week travelers return early to metro to avoid rush

Anjo Bagaoisan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 16, 2022 07:36 PM PHT

Read More:

Holy Week

Semana Santa

Holy Week 2022

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Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange

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