Passenger traffic surged in ports nationwide early Thursday, April 2, as the Holy Week exodus continued, following heavy travel volume recorded the previous day, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

In a 12:00 midnight to 6:00 a.m. bulletin, the PCG recorded a total of 51,923 passengers in seaports across the country. Of this number, 26,446 were outbound travelers, while 25,477 were inbound passengers.

The figures reflect a significant increase compared to Holy Wednesday, April 1, when authorities logged 22,135 outbound passengers and 22,503 inbound travelers, totaling 44,638.

In addition to monitoring passenger flow, the PCG said it also inspected operations across 16 districts, covering 291 vessels and 67 motor bancas to ensure safety compliance amid the travel rush.

Authorities expect more than three million passengers to travel during the Holy Week rush. According to PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, a 26 percent increase in passenger volume has already been observed since March 28.

Despite the surge, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) earlier warned of limited ferry availability and possible travel delays. The agency cited reduced operations by some shipping lines due to rising fuel costs linked to tensions in the Middle East.