20 DECEMBER 2022, MANILA —Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Santiago gathers Port Police Officials yesterday, December 19, 2022, to ensure safe and secured passenger travels at ports during peak season.
Days before Christmas and conduct of his port inspection, GM Santiago warned the Port Polices to conduct honest and transparent duties, since security is one of the day-to-day top priorities watched over by the agency to be executed in the busiest time of the year.
“I won’t tolerate any unpleasant cases or maltreatment events to continue, even though we have people who are literally lost, we should remind and guide them still,” GM Santiago said.
GM Santiago assures that Port Polices should be “one call away” mostly during travelling concerns. “I hope that you can follow or look up to the good examples of those who went ahead of you who rendered great and excellent service. Though I am supportive of various activities to further improve our delivery of service, I am expecting that you’ll continue to be part in combatting any wrong doings,” GM Santiago added.
On the other hand, aside from more than 200 Port Police Officers wearing body-worn cameras, PPA continues to watch over ports 24/7, all over the country using the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that is part of the Port Surveillance System (PSS) located at its Head Office in Manila.
PSS covers 52 PPA sites all over the Philippines which features random viewing capability that operators can manage to control in order to verify reports that PPA management and other offices have received.
“CCTV monitoring is our eyes when it comes to observing thoroughly our ports. Through this, we have a macro perspective of our ports. Because having this added instrument is a help to see beyond what the naked eye could not,” Atty. Diane Steffi T. Guillamon, Head ng PPA Internal Security Affairs Staff (ISAS) said.
Per PPA data, it is expected that passenger number will climb to 57 million by the end of December 2022 or a 200% increase compared to previous years’ recorded data.
Meanwhile, “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos” and “No Leave Policy” for port employees are currently in effect at ports under PPA to guarantee a safe and sound sea travels this holiday season
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