Marcos vows orderly Undas travel

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the government has taken steps to ensure a “safe, orderly and convenient” travel in this year’s “Undas” or the All Saints’ Day holidays.

Mr. Marcos made this assurance as passenger count at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) topped 1 million that day while passenger traffic also rose at the country’s main gateway.

In a video message, the President said the Department of Transportation and other agencies have conducted extensive inspections at airports, seaports and bus terminals.

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READ: Undas 2026: Passengers flock to terminals; cemeteries begin to draw crowds

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“With the coming Undas, many of our countrymen will be returning to their respective provinces or visiting cemeteries to remember and pray for their departed loved ones,” he said in Filipino. “That is why we want to ensure that their travels and cemetery visits will be safe, orderly and convenient.”

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has also issued more than 1,000 special permits for buses, while road repairs along major thoroughfares have been expedited to ensure smoother traffic flow.

READ: Undas practices continue at home for those absent in cemeteries, columbaria

Meanwhile, the Maritime Industry Authority ordered more flexible sailing schedules for passenger ships from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3, with additional trips on select routes to be provided as needed.

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Mr. Marcos also said, “For our countrymen traveling to and from the country by air, we are ensuring that there will be sufficient personnel and that no immigration counters will be left unattended from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.”

Digital systems

“We will also intensify the use of digital systems, such as eGates, to speed up passenger processing. With the expected surge in passengers, major terminals will also have round-the-clock help desks from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 to assist travelers,” he added.

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In the capital region, more than 2,000 personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have been deployed to help manage traffic near cemeteries, Mr. Marcos said, adding that various agencies are conducting inspections to ensure that cemeteries, churches and other crowded areas are ready and safe for the public.

“The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is ready to respond in case of any incidents,” the President said.

Hospitals and health emergency teams are also on standby and coordinating with local government units to ensure immediate response to emergencies, he said.

“Plan your trips and stay informed about traffic advisories and road rerouting,” Mr. Marcos reminded the public. “If you will be taking public transportation, leave for the terminal early. If possible, purchase your tickets in advance.”

Bus travel updates

“The 911 emergency hotline is available for emergencies, while the official pages of the DOT (Department of Tourism), DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), DOH (Department of Health), MMDA and BFP will provide important information,” the President said.

Based on data released by PITX as of 7 p.m. on Friday, foot traffic at the terminal stood at 163,026.

This brought the total number of passengers who have passed through the terminal from Sunday, Oct. 25, to Friday, Oct. 30, to 1,094,251.

Among those who traveled early was Marichie Barrientos, who left Cavite on Friday with her husband to catch a bus to Zambales at PITX “to avoid being delayed by traffic,” she said.

Barrientos said they were heading home to visit her brother’s grave together with other relatives.

PITX management expects at least 200,000 passengers to pass through the terminal per day this weekend. This is around 15,000 to 20,000 more than its average daily passenger traffic, it said.

According to PITX data, Bicol had the highest booking rate among destinations with 61.70 percent of capacity already booked, followed by Mindoro at 41.67 percent, and provincial trips to northern Luzon at 33.88 percent.

A theft at Naia

For Oct. 31, Bicol continued to lead with a fully booked rate of 58 percent, followed by trips to the North, Visayas-Mindanao areas and Mindoro, which are all at around 25 percent.

Tickets to Laguna, Batangas and Quezon are still available as of Friday night.

Passenger traffic at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) was at 436,121 from Oct. 27 to 29, comprising 224,508 domestic and 211,613 international travelers, according to data from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

On Thursday alone, the airport recorded 145,277 passengers, up 3.36 percent from 140,556 on the same day last year.

Airport operator New Naia Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) said an estimated 1.25 million passengers would pass through Naia from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4, slightly higher than the roughly 1.24 million recorded during the comparable period last year. Friday was expected to be the busiest day of the holiday travel period.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon inspected Naia Terminal 1 on Friday morning, as he called for wider use of automated immigration e-gates after observing long queues at immigration counters while some of the machines remained unused.

He said he would recommend expanding access to the e-gates to more travelers, including Filipinos who are not overseas workers as well as foreign passengers.

Dizon also announced that Naia received zero findings “for the first time” in its latest security assessment by the US Transportation Security Administration, which he said was released Thursday.

But he expressed concern over airport surveillance following the theft of three luxury watches worth about P18 million from a French tourist at the Terminal 1 Grab pickup area on Oct. 20.

Dizon said the suspect had been arrested and the stolen items recovered. The tourist was expected to retrieve the belongings on Sunday. “We apologize to the tourist. What happened was wrong,” he said.

He also criticized the delay in transferring control of Naia’s closed-circuit television cameras to NNIC, saying the turnover should have been completed 18 months ago.

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“It’s been one and a half years. There should be only one party accountable and responsible, instead of officials pointing fingers at each other,” he said. —WITH REPORTS FROM ISABELLE PECHAY AND GABRYELLE DUMALAG