PPA shifting to e-ticketing

To cut fixers, overloading

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will finally push through with a P500-million project that would integrate and simplify booking of passenger tickets for sea-based travel.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago yesterday said his agency would commence the rollout of the electronic terminal management system (ETMS) this year as ordered by Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon.

In 2021, the PPA awarded the P499.9-million contract to deliver the ETMS to the joint venture of cloud specialist NextIX Inc. and Finnish developer Carus Ferry AB Ltd.

However, the contract was placed on hold as soon as the Marcos administration entered in 2022, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) then led by Jaime Bautista. With a new secretary in place, the DOTr is reversing course on the project.

“E-ticketing, hopefully, is within the year. We have already contracted out the project, it has been procured, and the system was ready to be rolled out but was suspended,” Santiago said.

Currently, the PPA is updating the functions of the solution in preparation for its rollout, refining some of its outdated features since its pilot testing during the pandemic in 2020.

Santiago said the ETMS, also known as e-ticketing, is needed to address pain points on the side of passengers and shippers.

For travelers, the ETMS would mean a one-stop shop where they can book tickets, arrange their requirements, plan transfers and check their schedules.

The ETMS would also eliminate the opportunity for fixers to take advantage of passengers since the platform shows whether a trip is already full or not. E-ticketing would also prevent shippers from overbooking their vessels, as the platform monitors the capacity of each trip.

For shippers, the ETMS would remove the burden of investing every year on website upgrades. Santiago said the PPA pays for the installation and renewal of e-ticketing, freeing up ship owners of some costs that they can allocate for other expenses.

The PPA is pursuing the e-ticketing project in compliance with Administrative Order 12-2019, a policy that calls for the creation of a single window for booking and payment of voyages.

The order aligns with the enactment of Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business Law, that seeks to cut red tape by simplifying business transactions.