Bicol: The Philippine Coast Guard in Bicol (PCG-5) is working round-the-clock in anticipation of a surge of passengers in time for Monday’s national and local elections.
According to Philippines News Agency, Commodore Ivan Roldan stated in a phone interview that PCG-5 has raised its alert level across all stations and substations to ensure the safe and orderly movement of passengers. “We’re actively monitoring major ports across Bicol’s six provinces, conducting inspections, and making sure passengers get to their destinations safely,” Roldan said.
PCG-5 reported that it has monitored 12,914 outbound and 7,272 inbound passengers who passed through the region’s major ports in the last 24 hours. To manage this influx, the PCG-5 has deployed 549 personnel and inspected 60 vessels and 40 motorbancas.
Roldan identified Matnog Port in Sorsogon as a major transit hub, especially for voters heading to the Visayas and Mindanao. “It is expected since Matnog Port in Sorsogon is the gateway to Visayas and Mindanao. When we refer to outbound passengers, we mean those traveling from Metro Manila or other parts of Luzon to the Bicol Region, while inbound passengers are those coming from Bicol and traveling to other regions of the country. These passengers are expected to cast their votes on Monday,” Roldan explained.
He also mentioned that they anticipate the number of passengers to remain high in the coming days. Additional personnel have been deployed to Catanduanes and Masbate to enhance security measures.
