In a series of meetings with representatives of various government agencies, Hamor emphasized that given the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023 on October 30 and the extended holidays in November, it is crucial to have a system in place to manage the influx of passengers and ease the congestion at the port of Matnog.

Hamor also said that the build-up of travelers can be attributed to the delay in the specified time of departure on the certificate of public convenience (CPC) issued to motorists. Unfortunately, in many instances, shipping lines fail to follow the schedule, resulting in significant delays.

To address this issue, Hamor has ordered the concerned agencies to regularly check and advise the shipping lines to strictly follow the departure schedules on the CPCs of each motorist. Passengers who do not come as scheduled should be left behind to avoid further delays.

Through the implementation of this system, the Philippine Ports Authority ensures that no single vehicle, bus, or transport goes to Matnog without an appointment through the queueing system and the use of the digital platform.

The Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (SPDRRMO) deployed marshals to enforce the ordinance, ensuring that all vehicles follow the Blue Lane policies. Violators will be issued citation tickets.

To ensure the queuing order of vehicles, a number is given to vehicles using the “first in, first out” (FIFO) system. The FIFO system is a method of organizing and manipulating data, where the first item added to the system is the first item to be removed. This system is commonly used in computer science, finance, and other areas where data needs to be processed in the order it was received.

Six stations were established inside the blue lane to manage the queueing order of vehicles. All queuing numbers are verified through the cargo loading list.

Overtaking of vehicles queuing inside the Blue Lane without proper authorization from the marshal and vehicles positioning outside the Blue Lane or the queuing line is prohibited. The ordinance also prohibits accommodating offers by fixers to gain an advantage in the queuing line.

Furthermore, Provincial Ordinance No. 03-2023 amends Section 7 of the Blue Lane and One-Stop Shop, prohibiting the unauthorized collection of payments, especially those not included in the normal fare matrix of the shipping lines, and imposes a fine of P5,000 on violators.

For the guidance of travelers, PPA has authorized fees collected at the One-Stop Shop ticket booths. Rolling cargoes and vehicles bound for Samar and Cebu have a ferry ticket and RORO Terminal Fee. Type 1 (motorcycles and the like) have a P65.00 blue ticket;, Type 2 (light vehicles) have a P129.00 yellow ticket;, Type 3 (L-type, long trucks) have a P258.00 pink ticket;, and Type 4 (heavy equipment, big trucks and buses) have a P516.00 green ticket. Passengers have a ferry ticket and a passenger terminal fee of P30.00.

Exempted from paying passenger terminal fees are uniformed personnel, students, senior citizens, and personnel traveling for official purposes.

According to Philippine Ports Authority–Terminal Management Office (PPA-TMO) Matnog Division Manager Achilles Galindes, there are 12 RORO vessels currently operating in the port, and on normal days, 27 trips are needed to accommodate all the passengers and vehicles. During peak season, at least 33 trips are required daily to ensure that no one is left out.

On average, during regular days, there are around 1,500 to 2,000 outbound passengers in Matnog port and at least 5,000 daily, including drivers and helpers during peak season.

On the other hand, some 500 to 600 units of rolling cargo of all categories are catered to by the port on regular days. This long holiday season, authorities are expecting around 5,000 to 10,000 units.