Holy Week Travel Tips 2025: How to Stay Safe and Prepared in the Philippines

Prepare for Holy Week travel in the Philippines. Learn about common challenges and how to stay safe, healthy, and ready throughout your summer vacation.

April 16, 2025
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Holy Week, locally known as Semana Santa, is here once again. After Christmas, it’s shaped up, over the years, as one of the biggest and longest holiday seasons in the Philippines, given that most people can take anywhere between four to nine days of vacation.

This creates some very challenging situations for anyone looking to get a much-needed break as they have to contend with high volumes of vehicles and people as well as issues like the intense heat and seasonal diseases.

Top Travel Challenges During Holy Week — and How to Prepare for Them

With so many people on the move, it's important to plan ahead and be ready for the realities of Holy Week travel. From packed terminals to soaring temperatures, here’s what to expect—and what you can do to make the journey smoother and safer for you and your loved ones.

Beating the Long Lines at Terminals

Holy Week is few times in the year when travel from Metro Manila reaches its peak. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has given notice it expects around 1.18 million passengers during Holy Week, peaking on Good Friday. Many major bus companies already report their rides as being booked to capacity.

What to do: The best way to avoid the hassle of the lines is to arrive early at your terminal, whether at the airport, bus, or port. Some companies like the Philippine Airlines (PAL) even have digital features like online booking via their app that allow you to skip these lines. Make sure, too, that all your pertinent travel documents are on hand and secure. It’s also best to take your medicines or have them easily accessible as you queue for your ride.

Managing Traffic Along Major Routes

Another major feature of Holy Week in the Philippines is the expected surge in traffic volume. The Department of Tourism (DOT) expects 30 million people to visit popular tourist spots during the break, and the expressways expect a 10 percent increase in vehicles.

What to do: Normally, leaving early would be best if you want to avoid the inevitable traffic jams along major roads. There are now many ways to monitor traffic from traditional radio stations to apps like Waze. It would be best to expect long travel times regardless, so be sure to bring easy-to-eat food and sufficient water. There are also many stopovers along major routes so be sure to use them accordingly.

It’s also important to ensure the medicines needed by everyone in your group or family are brought along, like those for travel sickness and maintenance medication, as access to drug stores may not be easy along your route.

Staying Safe in Extreme Heat

Holy Week is known as the peak of summer in the Philippines, at least in terms of heat. The country has been getting many high Heat Index alerts all season, but Holy Week 2025 is living up to its hype with 19 areas placed under the “danger” Heat Index classification with forecast values ranging from 42°C to 44°C. Many of these areas are popular vacation destinations like La Union, Batangas, Palawan, and Mindoro.

What to do: Make sure to minimize the impact of these high Heat Indices by following simple rules:

Wear loose, comfortable clothing
Avoid going out between 11:00 a.m. and around 2:00 p.m.
Stay in the shade if you have to go outside
Apply sunblock, especially when on the beach
Always remain hydrated

For more tips on how to handle the summer heat, you can check our guide here. Summer Health Guide: Common Conditions and How to Handle Them

Preparing for Supply Shortages

Given the major short-term shift in population, expect an impact on the supplies of certain goods and even services throughout the Holy Week period, both in Metro Manila and in many of the popular tourist destinations. Many will be stocking up for the long trips and big gatherings as Holy Week is also a time of reunion for many returning to their home provinces.

What to do: Expect supplies commonly used for travel such as small toiletries to fly off the shelves. Bottled water could also run short in smaller stores as travelers stock up on this badly needed seasonal essential. Stores outside of Metro Manila are often less stocked, especially if they have no system to deal with the seasonal surge in demand. This is particularly true for specific medications like maintenance drugs, which may be hard to source where you’re going. It’s best to make sure you have enough on hand for your vacation.

Supply shortages can also be a challenge for those staying in a depopulated Metro Manila during Holy Week. It’s been a tradition for many establishments to be closed as early as Holy Wednesday although the most common day is Good Friday. While some are now open by Black Saturday, make sure that you have essentials like food, water, and key medicines stocked up until most businesses reopen on Easter Sunday.

Handling Common Medical Issues

There is no alert on any major communicable diseases on the eve of Holy Week 2025, but many seasonal ones remain as well as health conditions that commonly crop up when large numbers of people gather.

What to do: Given the long travel times and heat, common medical issues would be those related to both, like heat exhaustion, or even heatstroke, and sunburn for those at the beach. As long as you take the proper precautions and carry necessary relief supplies, heat- and travel-related medical issues shouldn’t be a problem.

Diarrhea and allergies can also be common medical issues as you and your family sample the delicacies of your vacation spot. Antihistamines and off-the-shelf medicines like loperamide should cover such instances, but always get prompt medical attention if you think it’s necessary.

If you’re particularly worried about seasonal diseases, travel precautions like masking and thorough handwashing should help mitigate casual infection. Being up to date with vaccinations prior to travel is also always best, especially if you are traveling abroad.

Health and Travel Coverage for Holy Week

Part of your preparation for Holy Week should include ensuring sufficient protection for the unexpected. While typical travel preparation is always good and ordinarily sufficient, given the large number of people moving about in a short time, overtaxed systems could lead to accidents and unforeseen circumstances.

Most health insurance plans can provide coverage for seasonal inconveniences, all the way to proper care in case of incidents like complications from insect bites, anaphylactic shock from allergies, or a really bad case of diarrhea.

It’s also worth considering travel insurance during Holy Week. No matter your destination or activities during this period, travel insurance helps keep you safe and secure no matter where you are.

At Reliable Insurance Brokers, we offer personal health coverage and travel insurance policies to help you stay protected no matter the challenges of Holy Week and wherever you may wish to spend it. We’ll help you choose the policies you need so that you and your loved ones make the most of the holiday.