Immigration augments NAIA manpower in anticipation of holiday rush
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration said Thursday that it is augmenting its manpower at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in anticipation of the holiday rush.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the deployment of immigration officers assigned at the bureau’s main officer and other offices in Metro Manila to the NAIA to render inspection duties in arrival and departure counters.
Morente said the measure is temporary. “While we do not expect a major rise in the number of travelers this holiday season, we’d rather err on the side of caution and beef up our deployment,” he also said.
The order covers immigration officers in BI offices in Metro Manila except for division and section chiefs, seniors and those suffering from serious illnesses, the bureau said.
The BI chief issued the directive after the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases allowed the entry of foreign spouse and children of Filipinos and former Filipinos into the country.
The IATF said the decision was to allow foreigners who are families of Filipinos to reunite in the country.
Morente last month banned BI personnel from filing vacation leave applications from December 1 to Jan. 15, 2021 to ensure that international airports across the country have adequate personnel to cater to departing and arriving passengers.
The BI chief also earlier said they are expecting a significantly lower turnout of arriving passengers in 2020, as he noted that even with past holidays where they normally see a spike in figures, “very low numbers” are recorded by the bureau.
He added they expect numbers to pick up in 2021, “hopefully when we see an end to this pandemic.” — Kristine Joy Patag
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