PPA prepares for Oplan Undas 2026, implementing ORAS and providing online and onsite help desks at ports.
28 OCTOBER 2026 – The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is making sea travel more convenient this Undas 2026 as thousands of Filipinos travel home to reunite with their families and visit their departed loved ones through the Online Reservation Assistance System (ORAS), which allows passengers to reserve their trips ahead of the holiday rush. Online help desks and hotlines are now available to assist passengers, while for those with no internet connection, in-person assistance at the Port Management Offices (PMOs) of Balanacan, Batangas, Calapan, and Lucena are also available.
PPA Assistant General Manager for Operations (AGMO) Atty. Mark Jon Palomar encouraged passengers to plan their trips early and use ORAS before proceeding to the ports.
“Before you get to the port, you can already access the ORAS website. If you plan to travel, we encourage you to check ORAS and make your reservation there. If you cannot do it online and need to go to the port, there will be someone there to assist you,” Palomar said.
Through ORAS, passengers can check available sailing schedules and reserve their preferred trips in three simple steps: SCAN, CHOOSE, and RESERVE. By allowing passengers to arrange their reservations in advance, the system aims to streamline the booking process, minimize waiting time at ticketing areas, and promote a more orderly flow of passengers during peak travel periods. For the Undas implementation, the validity of the ORAS Pass has been shortened from three hours to two hours before the scheduled departure.
Palomar also explained that passenger projections for Undas reflect a modest year-on-year increase, with estimates taking into account factors such as higher ticket prices, the relatively short travel period, and varying passenger forecasts across PMOs. With 1.93M expected Undas passengers for 2026 for the period of October 27-November 5, 2026 while ORAS reservations for Oplan Undas will cover the period from October 28 to November 3, 2026, for designated routes serving the four participating ports. These routes include Balanacan to Lucena; Batangas to Abra de Ilog, Calapan, Caticlan, Coron and El Nido in Palawan, Odiongan, Puerto Galera, and Romblon, Sibuyan, and Roxas City in Capiz; Calapan to Batangas; and Lucena to Balanacan, Masbate, and Romblon.
Passengers who experienced ORAS during its previous implementation also recognized its potential to make reservations more convenient and reduce long queues at the ports.
“Para po sa akin, mas mapapabilis po ang proseso at mababawasan po ang mahabang pila ng mga pasahero,” said a passenger at the Port of Calapan, expressing support for the system's potential to improve the passenger experience during peak travel periods. Passengers traveling on routes not covered by ORAS, or outside the designated reservation period, may proceed directly to the ticketing booth of their chosen shipping line.
As Oplan Undas approaches, PPA reminds passengers to plan their journeys ahead of time, check available sailing schedules, and take advantage of ORAS and its assistance services for a smoother and more convenient trip.
###