The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to inaugurate next month its new “smart” headquarters along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City.
BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval, during the bureau’s radio program on Monday, August 11, said the new building “will not only be beautiful but also modern with the installation of modern technologies.”
However, Sandoval did not mention what technologies have been installed or how many stories the new BI building has.
The BI’s “smart” headquarters in Pasay City will replace the old four-storey building located in Intramuros, Manila.
It is expected that the new headquarters will be inaugurated on September 8, the anniversary celebration of the BI.
Sandoval said the construction of the new building is part of the bureau’s ongoing modernization efforts.
“Marami pa po tayong teknolohiya na ginagamit ngayon para mas mapaganda po natin ang ating serbisyo sa ating mga paliparan (We are using technologies in order to enhance our services in the airports),” she said.
One of the new technologies she cited is the use of electronic gates or e-gates in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
E-gates, which were launched in 2019, are unmanned gates that process traveling passengers and replace the immigration booths manned by BI officers.
The e-gates can lower the usual processing time from 45 seconds to as fast as eight seconds per person, she said.
BI Deputy Spokesperson Melvin Mabulac, on the other hand, said the New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC) has committed to purchase more e-gates to be installed at the airport.
So far, there are only 21 e-gates installed at the NAIA’s arrival areas. The BI has plans to purchase 100 more e-gates.