00:00For tourists who want to visit the beautiful island of Boracay, the transactions will now be more convenient and hassle-free as the ticketing system at Katiclan and Cagban Port will be automated.
00:10This means tickets and registration can now be completed online.
00:14Rod Lagusad tells us more.
00:17For a smooter and stress-free travel experience, traveling to Boracay Island, one of the country's most popular tourist destinations,
00:24thanks to its white sand, beautiful sea, sunsets, and much more, has now been made easier.
00:31With the help of the unified automated ticketing system at major ports in the area, the Katiclan Jetty and Cagban Ports,
00:38lines are now shorter or gone entirely as the process that used to take 30 to 40 minutes can now be completed in just 10 to 15 minutes or even faster.
00:46Using a web-based platform, Let's Go Topline High Tech, tourists can now register and pay online even before arriving on the island.
00:54For tourists, this is a big help.
00:57For me, it's very convenient po. And then, less po siya sa hassle.
01:01And then, before, time-consuming yung registration, especially if everyone is holding the line to register everything and everything.
01:08And in the new existence of the technology, we must adopt.
01:13Okay yun kasi yung time, imbis na napupunta dito sa pag-proseso ng pila-pila,
01:20rektan na doon, unlike nauubos pa yung oras namin sa pila-pila, yun, pupunta na lang kami.
01:26Wala ng pila, wala ng ibang hassle na, hassle-free na.
01:30So, mas maganda yung ganun. Mas okay sa akin yung ganun.
01:34According to the province of Baclan, the Baraka experience begins and ends at the port.
01:38That's why it's important to ensure that the process is smooth from the start.
01:41Yung na-experience nila before, syempre, ano naman tayo, naikinig naman tayo sa turista on what we have to improve sa services natin.
01:53So, at least, may kita na nila ngayon coming here na nakinig naman kami, nakinig kami sa kanila.
02:01For its part, the Department of Tourism stressed that this initiative will boost the country's tourism competitiveness in the global market.
02:08By streamlining the energy process into Barakay through automation, we reduce friction and unnecessary waiting time.
02:17Tourists can now arrive with ease, clarity, and convenience.
02:22This is part of the Department's push for smart tourism, which incorporates the use of modern technology.
02:28Under this faster system, if a passenger has already registered and paid online, they can go directly to the ticket encounter.
02:35Here, they will present their QR code generated by the platform, which will be scanned.
02:40After ID verification, their boat ticket will be issued.
02:45While this is being rolled out, the option for on-site registration remains, where a passenger may either scan their ID or fill out into their system.
02:52After which, they will pay environmental, terminal, and boat transfer fees at the ticket encounter.
02:58After that, the ticket will simply undergo validation through scanning, followed by boarding the boat going to the island.
03:05The province has partnered with Topline Hitech, the company behind this new system, which is tourist-friendly, offering language options that are especially helpful to foreign visitors.
03:14And despite this innovation, it has even generated jobs.
03:17Actually, may ma-add pa to workforce, because for us, here in Lesgo, or in Topline, we're not operating the whole port.
03:27We're just operating a certain portion of the port, which is the ticketing counter.
03:32So in fact, we're even generating more employment.
03:34An additional 35 passes will be charged as a convenience fee, and 15 passes for booking fee or online payment charge.
03:41Part of the convenience fee goes to the provincial government and select non-government organizations.
03:46Full implementation is expected by the last quarter of the year, but on-site registration will still be available.
03:53Rod Lugusad, from the National TV Network, for a new and better Philippines.
