BI urges Filipino travellers to use 'e-gates' in airports for faster processing
The Bureu of Immigration (BI) urged Filipinos returning from their travel abroad to use the electronic gates (e-gates) in international airports for speedier processing.
BI said that the use of e-gates would shorten the period of processing from 45 seconds to just eight seconds.
It said that a total of 32,045 passengers arrived last Oct. 31 but only 5,210 utilized the 21 e-gates stationed in various airports.
The call was issued as BI expects more passenger arrivals and departures this months of November and December which are considered travel peak months.
“Departures significantly increased before Undas, and we project that arrivals will rise in the next few days after the long holiday,” Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.
He said the BI intends to put up more e-gates and plans to replace 50 percent of its manual operations by 2026.
Earlier, BI Spokesperson Dana Krizia M. Sandoval explained that an e-gate is “an electronic booth that captures the passport and biometric details of passengers.”
“Our e-gates replaces face-to-face contact between the passenger and the immigration officer,” she said.