PPA sees 1.93 million sea travelers on Undas

MANILA, Philippines — Up to 1.93 million people are expected to travel by sea from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5, to spend All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in the provinces, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

Earlier, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) estimated the number of sea travelers  for this year’s  Undas to reach 1.5 million.

The PCG based its estimate on the number of travelers during the same period last year, which was also at 1.5 million.

PPA assistant general manager for operations Mark Jon Palomar said the expected 1.93 million vessel passengers is 1.55 percent higher than the 1.91 million recorded in 2025.

Among the ports expected to record a high number of travelers are the Iloilo River Wharf, Babak Port in Davao del Norte, Batangas Port, Jordan Port in Guimaras and Sasa Port in Davao City.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago said port authorities are ready to handle the surge of passengers.

Santiago said the PPA is also expecting possible travel cancellations as people may consider their expenses due to the high cost of fuel and other basic commodities.

To make ticket reservation more convenient, the PPA said it would revive its Online Reservation Assistance System (ORAS) starting Oct. 24 for the travel period covering Oct. 28 to Nov. 4.

The online system will reduce queues at ticketing counters and overcrowding at terminals, the PPA said.