Manila, March 30 -- Police visibility at key transport hubs nationwide has been intensified as Holy Week travel picks up, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

The PNP said increased presence in terminals, ports, and places of worship is part of a heightened alert status that began on Palm Sunday.

"The increased police presence on the road, churches, transportation hubs and other places of convergence is intended to provide maximum security and assistance to all our kababayan," PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.

About 2.4 million travelers are expected at seaports, while around 1.3 million passengers are projected at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for the week.

Nartatez said security ...