Unang Balita is the news segment of GMA Network's daily morning program, Unang Hirit. It's anchored by Arnold Clavio, Susan Enriquez, Ivan Mayrina, and Mariz Umali, and airs on GMA-7 Mondays to Fridays at 5:30 AM (PHL Time). For more videos from Unang Balita, visit http://www.gmanetwork.com/unangbalita.
#GMAIntegratedNews #GMANetwork #KapusoStream
Breaking news and stories from the Philippines and abroad:
GMA Integrated News Portal: http://www.gmanews.tv
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gmanews
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gmanews
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gmanews
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gmanews
GMA Network Kapuso programs on GMA Pinoy TV: https://gmapinoytv.com/subscribe
#GMAIntegratedNews #GMANetwork #KapusoStream
Breaking news and stories from the Philippines and abroad:
GMA Integrated News Portal: http://www.gmanews.tv
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gmanews
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gmanews
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gmanews
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gmanews
GMA Network Kapuso programs on GMA Pinoy TV: https://gmapinoytv.com/subscribe
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning to all the travellers who are expected to arrive in the Philippines this holiday season.
00:05We have with us Eunice Samonte, spokesperson of the Philippine Ports Authority.
00:10Good morning to you, Eunice. Happy New Year!
00:12Good morning, Ma'am Maryse. Happy New Year to you as well.
00:16First of all, how many passengers are expected to travel to different ports in the country today?
00:23Yes, actually, this morning, we have reached 3.5 million passengers.
00:30It started on December 15 until 6 a.m. this morning.
00:34And we expect that it will increase in the coming days
00:39because the people who came from the province are going home to return to their work.
00:45So, are there more today or tomorrow? Because the weekend is coming again.
00:50We expect more on the weekend because our forecast is 4.5 million passengers.
00:57Compared to last year, we had 4.3 million passengers last year.
01:03A lot of people are asking if the number of passengers is enough
01:07because they are expecting to return today.
01:09And you are saying that there will be more on the weekend.
01:13Actually, this is the challenge.
01:16Because there are a lot of passengers, usually, we have a build-up of passengers in the port
01:22because there are still shipments.
01:25This is the usual call of the PPA that there should be additional ships
01:31because our passengers are continuously arriving in the ports.
01:35Of course, in the PPA, in the port, we cater the passengers who go to the ports
01:43even if they don't have a trip yet or if they are still waiting for a trip.
01:48So, it means that it's okay even if they just walk in, they don't have reserved tickets?
01:54That's right. Our passengers have two options.
01:57They can go to the port and buy tickets there.
02:01But the challenge is that they have to queue for a very long time
02:05because there are queues in the ticketing booths in our ports
02:10because of the shipping lines.
02:12The online ticketing of the shipping lines doesn't work anymore.
02:17So, their second option is online booking directly to the site of the shipping line
02:23where they can choose.
02:25And from there, they can buy tickets directly.
02:29And that's also our advisable in their online booking.
02:33Eunice, so far, in the ships that traveled, we don't see any delays?
02:41For now, there are no delays even though there are some that got cancelled.
02:46For example, in Masbate, there is a shipping line that got cancelled
02:50due to the New Year operation even though there are no stranded.
02:54The good news is that the passengers were informed right away
03:00and the passengers did not go to our port.
03:04We also had cancelled trips last Christmas
03:08but the passengers were informed right away.
03:10You're saying that the ships should be added.
03:13How many? And have we talked to the shipping lines?
03:16Will they be added?
03:17Is there a chance that more trips will be added
03:20so that the passengers' trips won't be delayed?
03:23Especially those who will return to their jobs
03:27and will not return to the provinces.
03:29Yes, our coordination with the marinas and the shipping lines is continuous.
03:35Even though the shipping lines did not fulfill the mandate of the DPA,
03:40we are still requesting that if the ships are not enough,
03:45like what was mentioned earlier,
03:47and their answer is positive,
03:49some will be added,
03:51others will return the ships that traveled right away.
03:56How is the operation in the ports?
03:58Did anyone get hurt or were there any robberies?
04:02Because there are others who stay overnight while waiting for their trip.
04:06That's right.
04:08Our provinces, so far, when it comes to security,
04:12are considered safe,
04:14especially with the 3,000 security forces
04:18including our port police who are wearing body cameras.
04:22The challenge, for example,
04:24this December 29,
04:26we were told that a passenger
04:30who was going to North Harbor, Manila,
04:36jumped into a vessel due to depression.
04:41Our authorities responded immediately.
04:45He was saved?
04:46He was saved.
04:49Until when did you expect that so many passengers will jump into the vessels?
04:54Our monitoring in the Philippine Coast Authority,
04:58until January 4,
05:00the number of passengers is continuous.
05:03Especially now, Friday and Saturday,
05:06this is the build-up of people who will return to their jobs.
05:11Eunice, please remind our passengers
05:14who are going to different provinces across the country.
05:17Yes, thank you very much for the opportunity to remind our countrymen,
05:22especially our passengers who are going and chasing their trip,
05:27it's better if they have an online booking.
05:30Because once they have an online booking,
05:35they can bring their tickets directly to the passenger terminal building.
05:40They don't have to queue.
05:41And secondly,
05:43I hope they go to the provinces earlier.
05:47We don't have controlled routes to the provinces.
05:51Usually, there is a delay in traffic.
05:55So they go directly to the provinces.
05:57And thirdly,
05:58travel light only because our security inspection in the provinces is still tight.
06:04So it's better if they don't bring a lot of things
06:08and appliances to go directly to the provinces.
06:11That's all.
06:12Alright, thank you very much.
06:14Philippine Ports Authority Spokesperson Eunice Samonte,
06:17Happy New Year again to you.
06:19Happy New Year, Ma'am Marisa.
06:21Good morning.
06:38Philippine Ports Authority