These days, residents of Metro Manila and other sprawling urban areas are not the only ones in the country living a commuter’s nightmare.

At Matnog port in Sorsogon, passengers of inter-island ships can still definitely relate.

Jane Norcio said she arrived at the port at 6:30 a.m. Saturday with two relatives and their children, but their plan to see relatives before lunch did not happen because of a delay in boarding passengers.

Besides the stress of waiting for hours, their other concern was a dwindling budget. Norcio said the shipping company didn’t offer them food or assistance.

“Naiinip na nga. Iyak nang iyak mga bata namin . . . Na-short na budget namin kasi akala namin mabilisan lang ang pagsakay. Mga anak namin nahirapan masyado. Dapat 1 hour, 30 minutes ganu’n lang,” she said.

Norcio and her relatives boarded their ship at 11:30 a.m.

Other passengers endured a similarly long wait.

“Pagdating namin ng mga 7 a.m. dito, wala . . . Hindi pa nga kami nakapag-almusal, kasi ’yung baon namin nasa bus,” Daisy Duran said.

Despite the hassle, Norcio opted to be patient.

“OK lang kasi no choice . . . May libreng Wi-Fi naman,” Norcio said.

Other passengers complained about what they thought was an overloaded vessel, but they turned down being interviewed.

ABS-CBN News tried to get a statement from the Philippine Coast Guard substation at Matnog, but the officer in charge hadn’t reported to work at the time.

Matnog port sub-station commander Nelson Jazo said Coast Guard personnel strictly carry out headcounts to ensure ships don’t overload.

(For concerns, passengers can contact the PCG hotline at 0917-847-7052 or 0998-585-2886.)

More than 140,000 passengers arrived and disembarked at Matnog port from April 8 to April 25, data from the Matnog port showed.

The total number of shipcalls was placed at 370.

PhilHarbor terminal supervisor Juanito Gamit, whose company is in charge of boarding of passengers, said this time of the year is considered “peak season”, reason for the long wait hours.

Such a situation, he said, is temporary.

Gamit added that passengers pile up at the port because of the slow turnaround of ships going to Allen Port in Northern Samar and other provinces.

“Medyo mabagal ’yung balik nu’ng barko kasi nanggagaling sa kabila, medyo mahina ’yung panakay papuntang Maynila. So siyempre ’yung company naman, magastos ’yung konsumo sa krudo nila binabawi rin naman, naghahantay ng panakay, medyo mabagal ang balik,” he said.

On a regular weekend, the number of passengers at Matnog port is between 12,000 to 14,000 for 24 hours.

As for the passengers’ complaining about the lack of food assistance as they endure long waiting periods, Gamit said, “May policy naman po ’yung kompanya pagka hindi ka pa naman inaabot ng 24 hours, hindi pa naman po sagot po."

Gamit said the peak season at Matnog port is expected to last until the first week of June.