EDITORIAL - Safe vacation

The Holy Week exodus to holiday destinations begins in earnest today, alongside the rites of Palm Sunday. All agencies of the national and local governments must ensure the safety of the public in this peak travel season.

This includes ensuring the travel worthiness of mass transport facilities on land, sea and air. The nation has seen too many deadly road accidents due to the loss of brakes on poorly maintained vehicles as well as reckless driving. Inter-island ferries have also sunk and motorized boats have capsized even in calm waters and fine summer weather due to overloading, with passengers drowning because of the absence of requisite lifesavers.

Before the weekend, the Maritime Industry Authority announced that it had suspended four ships due to safety issues. Authorities in smaller ports must also tighten inspection of vessels used for public transport.

An audit of the structural integrity of public works infrastructure has yet to get underway, over a month after a section of a new bridge in Isabela province collapsed after a truck transporting rocks drove through it.

While waiting for experts to inspect structural integrity, public works personnel and local government units can display prominently at the entrance to bridges advisories on weight and height limits for vehicles, and promote compliance. Owners of mass transport and logistics enterprises must do their part by ensuring the roadworthiness of their vehicles and compliance with weight and height limits.

Public safety includes protection from scams and violent crimes. The Department of Tourism is encouraging the public to book accommodations and other travel-related requirements only with accredited establishments to avoid scams.

The Philippine National Police, assisted by local force multipliers, must intensify patrols and other security measures. The PNP has yet to catch the killers of a Slovak tourist who was found dead with signs of rape and beating in Boracay, one of the country’s top travel destinations.

Metro Manila, meanwhile, which typically becomes like a ghost town during the Holy Week break, must be secured from burglars. Firefighters must be on alert as fires can break out in homes and workplaces whose occupants are on vacation.

The country has had sufficient experience with possible problems during the Holy Week break. There is no excuse to be unprepared.