Traffic heavy on EDSA as Holy Week exodus starts

The annual Holy Week exodus started Saturday as vacationers clogged key roads in Metro Manila to get to bus terminals as they head for the provinces. Radio dzBB’s Allan Gatus reported that traffic on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) was tight as commuters crowd at provincial bus terminals. Many commuters were seen lugging large bags while on their way to get a bus ride, the report said. Earlier, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it will set up teams in key areas to look out for dilapidated buses and public utility vehicles. On the other hand, the Philippine Coast Guard advised passengers to be at ports at least three hours before their scheduled trips. For its part, the Philippine National Police advised residents in Metro Manila to lock their homes as they leave for the Holy Week vacation in the provinces. Meanwhile, radio dzRH reported that traffic in some parts of the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX) was slowed due to police checkpoints for the election gun ban. Holy Week security in Boracay Police in Boracay in Western Visayas have said they are ready to secure tourists visiting the island resort during the annual Holy Week vacation season. Aklan police chief Senior Superintendent Epifanio Bragais Jr. said the Boracay Special Tourist Protection Office (BSTPO) will deploy more men to secure visitors. ‘We dedicate more police visibility patrols in Caticlan in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard together with the Maritime Group for seaborne and shorelines patrols," he said in an article on Visayas-based The News Today. To beef up the security, the PNP also deployed 29 field training policemen and 19 personnel from the 6th Provincial Public Safety Management Company as force complement of the existing BSTPO. BSTPO also stepped up security around the island resort by putting up assistance centers in strategic areas for the Semana Santa tourists expected to spend their holiday vacation. “So far in our assessment, we can manage the bulk of tourists with the existing BSTPO personnel. If the need arises, augmentation from different municipal police stations and the Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO) will be deployed in the island," Bragais said. Boracay is still the top beach destination in the country with over 600,000 tourists visiting this island resort annually. During the Holy Week vacation, more than 40,000 visitors, especially local tourists visit Boracay Island. — LBG, GMANews.TV