MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos who spent the Halloween break in their provinces are trooping back to Manila to catch up on the resumption of their work days and personal businesses Wednesday morning.

According to Alex Yague of the Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines (PBOAP), the bulk of passengers who visited their departed loved ones and relatives in the countryside are expected to have returned to Metro Manila between Tuesday night and early morning Wednesday.

Yague said the peak of return trips to Manila started at noon Tuesday since official holidays are over by Wednesday.

“It started after lunch and will continue very early today, Wednesday. Those who failed to catch trips today will be the remainder of those who will return to Manila by tomorrow, November 3,” he said.

The PBOAP president said there was an increase in the volume of passengers that spent the Undas break in the provinces this year compared to last year, owing to the four-day-long weekend.

“Relatively, there was an increase in the passenger volume this year. Travelers have more time to go to and spend to the province because of the long weekend compared last year,” Yague added.

He said the increase in passenger volume from October 28 to November 2 will help provincial bus operators recover the revenue they have lost from the series of calamities that plagued their operation and the implementation of value-added tax on toll last month.

“We may have increased revenue this season but the increase in oil prices have made our operational cost increase as well. The oil price increases have offset the revenue we should have earned because of the peak season,” Yague said.