PPA encourages Pinoys to explore local destinations

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is urging Filipinos to explore affordable local destinations through the country’s inter-island sea travel connections this long weekend, as the country hosts the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related ASEAN Summits.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago said the agency anticipates that some passengers may have postponed their trips during the previous commemoration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

“In our assessment, we see that because the (Undas) break was only short, from Saturday to Monday, we thought and anticipated that our countrymen might have postponed their travel to next week, when the holiday is five days, from Nov. 14 to 18, coinciding with our ASEAN,” Santiago said.

Local destinations are accessible by sea through the ports of Davao, Calapan, Lucena, Batangas and Banago.

“With the improvements we have made to our ports, we want passengers to see that sea travel is now a convenient option to visit and discover various destinations in the country. There are well-organized and comfortable waiting areas as well as basic passenger services. You can also bring your own vehicle through RoRo services,” Santiago said.

He added that because of the improvements, family travels become more flexible as they have more places to visit and explore, including Samal Island and Hagimit Falls in Davao as well as  Puerto Galera and Tamaraw Falls in Mindoro.