THE Cebu Port Authority (CPA) will put all ports in Cebu City and province under heightened alert for the upcoming Holy Week and summer vacation to ensure the safety of passengers going in and out of the port.
The CPA, through the Department of Transportation’s “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa and Summer Vacation 2023,” will step up all security and safety measures in all ports in response to the directive issued by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.
Earlier this week, the CPA’s Port Security, Safety and Environmental Management Department (PSSEMD) finished all preparations for the expected surge of passengers in coordination with maritime and enforcement partners from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Customs, Maritime Industry Authority, Bureau of Fire Protection, Waterfront Police Station, Mabolo Police Station and Regional Maritime Unit.
The heightened alert status will take effect from April 2 to 10.
Starting April 2, the CPA will deploy more police personnel to ports with high passenger traffic to assist in enforcing passenger security and safety.
The PDEA officers will use K-9 dogs during random inspections to find those trying to transport illegal drugs.
For its part, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will utilize bomb-sniffing dogs at the passenger terminal buildings and port surroundings.
First aid stations and Malasakit Help Desks will also be installed to assist passengers.
To recall, the CPA recorded a total of 345,445 passengers during Holy Week in 2022. This year, however, the number of travelers is expected to double due to the “zero Covid” restrictions and the long weekend.
The CPA earlier announced that wearing of masks inside port passenger terminals is now optional.
However, wearing of masks by the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals and symptomatic individuals is still encouraged.
Passengers may air their concerns to the CPA Police Operations Center or through hotline numbers 09178220471 and 09178158680. (PAC, TPT)