NAIA immigration E-Gates now operational

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) installed five E-Gate machines last Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to scan passports and cut the processing time of travelers to only 8 to 15 seconds per passenger from the previous 45 seconds.

The E-Gates aim to enhance the agency’s security capability through additional security checks, facial recognition, biometric scanning, bar code reader and smart card recognition all rolled into one system.

Some 21 machines would be installed within the year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the E-Gate is an initiative introduced by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called Fast Travel program that will simplify and efficiently improve clearing processes.

The machine also aims to provide the agency with efficiency and accuracy in pinpointing citizens under watch list and/or persons of interest in immigration formalities.

The new technology was initially installed to check Filipino citizens at arrival formalities and soon BI will install more machine at the departure areas.

He said that five units will be installed at NAIA terminal 3, three units at NAIA terminal 2.

Mactan-Cebu will have five units, five at Clark and three at Davao International Airport and soon all airports in the country will have E-Gate machines.

This project was funded by the national government at P328,869,000.

Morente said that all arriving Filipinos must have machine readable passports.

For secondary inspections, duty supervisors and secondary officers are stationed nearby for signals or red lights from the E-Gates.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, guest of honor and speaker last June when the BI introduced the E-Gate machines, said that with the installation of new machines “we are expecting fast travel and accurate border clearing system” that will eliminate errors in passengers’ verification and provide the bureau wth a quick system to detect persons of interest trying to cross the country’s borders.