THE port of Zamboanga has been chosen by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as one of the country’s pilot areas in the campaign to eliminate scalping activities.
Jerzel Gesulgon, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)-Zamboanga operations chief, said DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade issued a marching order to pilot test Zamboanga port in the fight against scalping.
The DOTr officials dded that scalping is not only a problem at the port of Zamboanga but in almost all ports in the country.
The local port is one of the busiest ports as it serves as the gateway to several provinces in the southern part of the country aside from major cities in the Visayas and Luzon areas.
Gesulgon said a team from DOTr headed by Undersecretary Fernando Juan Perez was in this city recently and met with representatives from the different agencies concerned like the PPA, Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority, police, local government and the shipping companies.
Gesulgon said issues and concerns were discussed along with solutions and measures to prevent scalping.
He said why scalping thrives in the local port is because of the tickets do not bear the names of the passengers coupled with the capability of scalpers to harass ticketing employees of shipping companies.
He said the scalpers buy tickets on behalf of the passengers, and some tickets bore incomplete names are some issues favorable scalping.
At present, shipping lines and port security officials require a passenger to personally buy a ticket for a boat ride from this city to nearby provinces and other parts of the country. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)