BI expects 110,000 travelers for holidays

MANILA, Philippines — More people are expected to flock to airports for their travels this holiday season compared to last year, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

The agency anticipates “more than 110,000 travelers during the holiday season,” it said in a statement on Dec. 13.

An average of 53,000 people arrived while an average of 43,000 people departed from the Philippines during the Christmas weekend in 2023, noted the BI.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said this year’s estimates of arrivals and departures could “exceed” similar figures in 2019, when it recorded an average of 55,000 daily arrivals and 47,000 daily departures.

To manage the surge of people coming in and leaving the Philippines, Viado said “applications for leave of frontline officers (are) denied to ensure full deployment capacity.”

The BI will also send personnel from the main office to the airports, as well as activate its rapid response teams and deploy mobile counters to ensure efficient processing during the peak season.