The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) reported that its managed ports nationwide has served over 2,291,666 passengers this year, a 37.14 percent increase from the Holy Week passengers last year with only 1,670,984 on the same period respectively from April 12 to 20. This year’s Holy Week passengers also surpassed its 1.7M traffic forecast.
Noting a generally peaceful Holy Week travel, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said this increase can be attributed to the coincidence of Holy Week 2025 with Summer Vacation and the effective promotions of Philippine local tourist destinations.
“On our part sa PPA, meron tayo—makikita niyo dyan ‘yung ating #PPAsyalTayo campaign na pinapakita natin ‘yung mga tourist destinations na accessible sa mga ports natin na maaari silang maglayag at dumaan sa mga ports natin para puntahan ‘yung destinasyon na hindi normally na napupuntahan,” said GM Santiago in an interview.
The head of the Philippine Ports Authority also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of port stakeholders, government agencies, and passengers, which contributed to the overall success of the Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa 2025.
Santiago acknowledged the PPA staff for serving during the Holy Week where most Filipinos went on holiday. He likewise thanked its partners, the maritime industry, including the shipping lines, local and national government agencies and the public for choosing seaports as their means of transport.
Among the Port Management Offices (PMOs) with the highest number of passengers were: PMO Batangas, PMO Panay/Guimaras, PMO Mindoro, PMO Negros Oriental/Siquijor, and PMO Bohol. These PMOs managed high passenger throughput across their areas of responsibility, especially during peak travel days such as Holy Wednesday and Holy Thursday.
The PPA also noted areas where operations could be improved, particularly in managing long queues in select terminals. Moving forward, the agency will continue to enhance coordination with shipping lines, review port traffic management plans, and the rollout of digital solutions such as the Electronic Terminal Management System (ETMS) which is also the priority of the Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon to be up and running by the end of the year.
As passengers and travelers increase in number, the PPA assures the public of its efficiency to respond to increased demand, especially during holiday and summer peak seasons.
