Frontline personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), such as those deployed at the country's airports and seaports, were not allowed to go on leave this holiday season.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado on Sunday, Dec. 22, said that he had issued a directive that frontline BI personnel are disallowed to go on leave from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15.
"The ban applies to all BI port personnel, such as those deployed at the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport); the airports in Clark, Mactan, Davao and Kalibo; and Zamboanga international seaport,” Viado said.
He explained that the ban will assure the public that the BI will be at full force during the holiday season.
He also said that he had instructed terminal heads that “all counters are fully manned, and to encourage arriving travelers to utilize the egates, to cut down processing time.”
More than 30 additional officers have been deployed to augment frontline operations at the airports.
“We have also in place mobile counters to help in processing should there be build-up in travelers,” he added.
Earlier, the New NAIA Infra Corporation had said that it anticipates more than 2.2 million passsengers to pass through its terminals from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3.