Immigration bureau prepares for holiday, fields more men at airports
By AJ Siytangco
Published Dec 10, 2018 12:32 pm
By Jun Ramirez
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that it is ready for the holiday rush, deploying more immigration officers to different international airports to beef up manpower.
BI Port Operations chief Grifton Medina disclosed that travel orders directing the concerned employees to report to their airport assignments starting this week were already issued by Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The added officers are deployed to help process the thousands of international passengers expected to enter and exit the country in droves during the holiday break.
Medina said Morente approved his recommendation to implement the personnel augmentation scheme in view of the reported increase in the number of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports in the past few days.
“We are actually expecting an upsurge of travelers entering the Philippines by around the second or third week of December as Christmastime approaches,” said Medina.
It was learned that of the 56 BI officers who were issued travel orders, 19 of them will be reporting to the NAIA while the 37 others were dispersed to the airports in Clark, Mactan, Kalibo, and Davao.
The said immigration officers are currently assigned at the BI main office and in other immigration field and satellite offices nationwide.
Medina, nonetheless, clarified the reassignment of the said employees are only temporary and they would return to their current posts when passenger volume at the airports drops.
Medina believes that the added manpower and the opening of the 21 e-gates in major airports nationwide, would greatly reduce the queuing time of the traveling public.
“Our goal is to provide fast and smooth immigration inspection this Yuletide season,” said Medina, adding that the priority is the Overseas Filipino Workers who are here for Christmas.
Morente instructed Medina to “keep a close eye on the immigration lines in all international airports to ensure they are minimized.”
He likewise reiterated his standing directive to BI personnel in the different ports to maintain the highest state of alert during the Yuletide season.
He said the BI cannot allow human traffickers and other syndicates to take advantage of the holiday rush and use the country’s ports as venues for carrying out their nefarious activities.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The added officers are deployed to help process the thousands of international passengers expected to enter and exit the country in droves during the holiday break.
Medina said Morente approved his recommendation to implement the personnel augmentation scheme in view of the reported increase in the number of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports in the past few days.
“We are actually expecting an upsurge of travelers entering the Philippines by around the second or third week of December as Christmastime approaches,” said Medina.
It was learned that of the 56 BI officers who were issued travel orders, 19 of them will be reporting to the NAIA while the 37 others were dispersed to the airports in Clark, Mactan, Kalibo, and Davao.
The said immigration officers are currently assigned at the BI main office and in other immigration field and satellite offices nationwide.
Medina, nonetheless, clarified the reassignment of the said employees are only temporary and they would return to their current posts when passenger volume at the airports drops.
Medina believes that the added manpower and the opening of the 21 e-gates in major airports nationwide, would greatly reduce the queuing time of the traveling public.
“Our goal is to provide fast and smooth immigration inspection this Yuletide season,” said Medina, adding that the priority is the Overseas Filipino Workers who are here for Christmas.
Morente instructed Medina to “keep a close eye on the immigration lines in all international airports to ensure they are minimized.”
He likewise reiterated his standing directive to BI personnel in the different ports to maintain the highest state of alert during the Yuletide season.
He said the BI cannot allow human traffickers and other syndicates to take advantage of the holiday rush and use the country’s ports as venues for carrying out their nefarious activities.