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Online booking pushed to solve congestion at Matnog Port in Sorsogon
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“Enterprising individuals” partly to blame for vehicle queuing, according to the Anti-Red Tape Authority
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An outpost will be set up in the area to guard against fixers and to function as complaints center
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) sees automation of processes, in particular the establishment of an online booking system, as the solution to the perenially congested Matnog port in Sorsogon.
ARTA director Atty Jeremiah B. Belgica in a statement said the agency found “some indications” that queuing of vehicles entering the port “could be partly caused, artificially… by some enterprising individuals.”
Matnog port is the jump-off port from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao, handling roll on-roll off vessels and services passengers.
The port has been known to suffer perennial congestion and truck queuing, especially during the holidays when passengers travelling home flock the terminal.
The ARTA chief said “an important initiative that could help ease the problem is streamlining, reengineering, and automating the entire system”, citing as an example the airline industry’s online ticketing system.
“Why do we need multiple lines in various government offices and shipping lines if we can simply combine all necessary fees into a single payment?” he asked.
Online booking, he said, takes away the possibility of some stakeholders getting on a priority list.
He explained: “Challenges in infrastructure can be mitigated by effective management of the systems through streamlining and automation. This is not the time for offices to work in silos, especially when managing the critical logistical doorway connecting the islands of Luzon and Visayas.”
Belgica said ARTA will coordinate with the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Dectection Group, the local government unit, and Taskforce Tagabisay to set up an ARTAmbayan outpost in the area, which will guard the area against fixers and where passengers can directly lodge complaints.
A visit to Matnog port with government officials and stakeholders is being arranged, Belgica said.
READ: Transport, LGU authorities working to solve Matnog port gridlock
Meantime, the ARTA chief said implementation of the Unified Logistics Pass (ULP) in nine pilot locations, including the Port of Matnog, will facilitate truck movement and ease port-entry restrictions via a unified Quick Response code that can be scanned by various government authorities, including port authorities, special economic zones, and local government units.
The implementation of ULP in Matnog Port is set for February 9-13, 2022.
