Holy Week exodus: 1,297 special bus permits issued

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March 29, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has issued special permits to 1,297 buses in anticipation of the surge of passengers during Holy Week.

LTFRB Chairman Vigor Mendoza II said the approval would ensure sufficient bus availability as Filipinos head to the provinces for the religious observance.

He noted that more commuters are expected this year, with some opting for public transport instead of driving due to rising fuel prices.

The LTFRB said it would continue monitoring passenger volume in terminals and may deploy additional buses if needed.

In some terminals, including the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), operators have begun reducing trips due to high fuel costs.

“Some of our operators have reduced their bus travels to Batangas City, San Jose, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan,” PITX spokesman Jason Salvador said.

Bus firms serving Baguio City have also cut trips by 30 to 50 percent, resulting in longer waiting times for passengers, according to the Baguio City Police Office-Traffic Enforcement Unit (BCPO-TEU).

“Regular trips of bus companies plying various routes to and from Baguio City have increased their intervals to two hours or more per trip instead of the usual 30 minutes to one hour during the peak tourism months,” BCPO-TEU chief Police Lt. Col. James Allen Dogao said, adding that normal trip schedules would resume if tourist arrivals increase.

Across other transport hubs, authorities are bracing for a surge in travelers.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said it expects around 2.46 million passengers in seaports this year, about 50,000 more than last year.

Passengers have been advised to book tickets in advance and arrive at ports at least four hours before departure.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is projecting around 6.5 million passengers across its 44 operated airports from March 29 to April 5, reflecting a seven to 10 percent increase compared to previous years.

On expressways, traffic along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) remained normal as of Saturday, although officials expect a gradual increase in vehicle volume by midweek.

NLEX Corporation assistant vice president for traffic operations Robin Ignacio said the increase may reach up to three percent, lower than the usual 10 percent recorded in previous years, partly due to high fuel prices.

“Maybe on Wednesday at noon, there would be more motorists going north. That will continue until evening and until Thursday morning and afternoon,” Ignacio said.

NLEX management said it has deployed additional personnel, toll collection points and counterflow measures, with no roadworks scheduled until after Easter.

Full alert

With the expected rise in passenger volume, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation has also placed its expressway network under full alert through its “Biyaheng Arangkada” program from March 27 to April 6.

This includes NLEX, SCTEX, NLEX Connector, CAVITEX, CALAX and CCLEX.

The program includes increased personnel deployment, roadside assistance stations, medical teams, free towing services and 24/7 customer support to ensure smooth traffic flow during peak travel days.

The Philippine Coast Guard has likewise implemented a heightened alert status in ports nationwide.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said nearly 17,000 personnel have been deployed, including rescue swimmers, medics and nurses.

The agency is enforcing strict pre-departure inspections, deploying K-9 units for baggage checks and assigning sea marshals on vessels to ensure passenger safety.

“So we are anticipating the same number or possibly more because the vacation of some will be longer and starting today, we are monitoring all the passengers 24x7 nationwide,” Cayabyab said, citing last year’s three million passengers.

Amid the increased travel activity, the Department of Health will raise a “code white alert” in all hospitals and health facilities nationwide from March 30 to April 6.

Under the alert, medical personnel will be on standby, with emergency rooms and response teams prepared to handle road accidents, injuries and other health emergencies. — Bella Cariaso, Rhodina Villanueva, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Rudy Santos