The Port of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro had a busy holiday season as it recorded a total of 91,547 passengers during the Holy Week.

The highest number of inbound travelers was registered on Maundy Thursday at 10,974, followed closely by Holy Wednesday at 10,738. Maundy Thursday was a public holiday in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, while Malacañang declared a half-day work on Holy Wednesday in the executive branch of government.

Meanwhile, the highest number of outbound passengers was recorded on April 10, National Heroes’ Day, followed by Easter Sunday, which registered a total of 8,345 Batangas-bound travelers.

During the nine-day period from April 2 to 10, the Port of Calapan accounted for 5.61 percent of the 1.6 million total number of sea travelers across the country.

According to Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Santiago, this year’s national figure is 24 percent higher than the 1.3 million passengers recorded last year.

“Base sa tala ng Philippine Ports Authority, mula April 2-10, 2023 umabot na sa 1,628,950 ang bilang ng mga pasaherong naitala sa pantalan o 24 percent na mas mataas sa 1.3 million nitong 2022,” he said.

Santiago attributed the uptick in traveler numbers to the eased Covid-19 restrictions in the country.

“Sa ngayon po unti-unti na tayong nakakabangon mula sa pandemic kaya tumaas rin po yung bilang ng mga kababayan natin na nag-byahe para makauwi ngayong Semana Santa,” he said, adding, “Ito rin po yung dahilan kaya’t 24/7 po kaming nakamonitor dahil mas kailangan tayo ng tao.”

Santiago also noted that no complaints were reported this time, unlike during the Christmas and New Year holidays, regarding long lines and congested passengers, particularly in Calapan City.

This could be attributed to the opening of the country’s largest passenger terminal building in the Port of Calapan, which can accommodate over 3,500 passengers, he said.

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