MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration on Monday said it has placed on heightened alert its personnel as the agency braces for a surge in passengers this Holy Week.
Millions of Filipinos go to their hometowns or travel to tourist destinations during the last week of the Lent.
"We have to alert our border control officers for any eventuality that may arise during this period," Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.
He added that the BI deployed over a hundred immigration officers to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country's main international gateway, to "ensure that our services to the traveling public are not interrupted or compromised even if there is a sharp increase in passenger volume."
The BI has been under scrutiny in recent weeks because of long lines at airport counters and because of stories of immigration officers delaying passengers leaving the country to ask clarificatory questions on their travels.
BI’s electronic gates are fully operational at NAIA, allowing the digital processing of arrivals for as fast as eight seconds per passenger.
The bureau projected that the number of passenger arrivals will increase to around 40,000 starting Maundy Thursday, from an average of 30,000 to 32,000. BI said this is due to eased travel restrictions.
Stricter measures
Tansingco ordered the bureau’s terminal heads in airports to implement stricter measures in the screening of passengers.
Several travelers have complained on social media about the overly strict implementation of departure protocols for travelers leaving the Philippines.
The Department of Justice said last week that the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking is "in the process of revising the departure formalities to better reflect current trends and plug the gaps that arose along the way."
The agency, however, stressed that BI officers are tasked to protect Filipinos from human trafficking and other dangers.
The BI chief added that port personnel were also directed to exercise vigilance in screening arriving foreigners to ensure that no unwanted or illegal aliens will slip into the country. — Gaea Katreena Cabico