PNR to halt operations from April 6 to 9 for Holy Week

The operations of Philippine National Railways (PNR) will be suspended from April 6 to 9 in observance of the Holy Week as well as for the repair of trains and tracks.

In a statement, the PNP said the train operations will return on April 10.

The PNR said there will be train operations from April 1, Saturday, to April 5, Holy Wednesday.

More personnel will be deployed to PNR facilities to ensure safety and order of the operations. A help desk will also be set up in every station.

A nurse will be designated at PNR Tutuban Clinic to provide blood pressure check and first aid to concerned passengers.

Quick response teams will also be deployed in Manila, Laguna, Lucena, and Naga in case of emergency.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said its airports will be on heightened alert from April 2 to April 10, with airport safety and security measures in place.

“All 12 Area Managers handling all CAAP-operated airports with commercial flights nationwide shall ensure the observance of maximum deployment of service and security personnel,” CAAP said in a separate statement.

“Therefore, a ‘no leave’ policy will be implemented during the entire duration of Oplan Biyaheng Ayos,” it added.

Additional personnel from airline stakeholders will be deployed to accommodate the expected increase of travelers due to the Holy Week.

Over 2 million passengers are expected to troop in airports during the Holy Week, according to CAAP.

In April 2021, CAAP said its airports recorded a total of 231,479 passengers, while in April 2022, a total of 1,715,720 passengers.

CAAP said it has projected that passenger air traffic recovery in the Philippines in the coming years would increase between 7-10% annually as travel restrictions continue to ease. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News