At least 83,000 passengers were recorded at the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) on Easter Sunday as people return to Metro Manila at the end of the Holy Week.
According to Jonathan Andal’s report on 24 Oras Weekend, with the Holy Week over, people from Metro Manila who traveled to neighboring provinces during the lenten break have started to return.
Some even brought ‘pasalubong’ like Kevin Firme, who was carrying two boxes of daing (dried fish) and tuyo (salted fish) from his hometown in Mindoro.
“Pang-ulam na ‘yan siguro mga one week, ‘yung iba pamimigay pag may nanghingi,” he said.
(These can last maybe a week, I’ll give some to those who ask.)
One passenger had to haul a large sack of rice that was a gift from relatives.
Another man said he was forced to take the bus back to Metro Manila after his motorcycle experienced engine trouble.
One family said all the hassle was worth it because they enjoyed their brief vacation at a beacg in Quezon province.
According to PITX management, the number of passengers reached 1,210,464 as of March 22. They said they are expecting more passengers to arrive on Monday.
Meanwhile, traffic bound for Metro Manila is starting to become heavier on several major roads on Sunday afternoon due to the increased number of vehicles returning from the provinces during Holy Week.
The reverse occurred in bus terminals in Sampaloc, Manila and Cubao in Quezon City, there were only a few passengers onboard buses headed for the provinces, some of whom spent a week in Metro Manila during lent.—Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News
