Immigration: International arrivals up 40% since reopening of borders
MANILA, Philippines — Weeks since the Philippines reopened its borders to international travelers, the Bureau of Immigration reported on Thursday that it recorded a 40-percent increase in arrivals in February from January.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the total number of arriving passengers logged in February is 211,899 from only 150,740 in January.
"This is also more than 130% higher than the 91,000 passenger arrivals in February 2021," the BI chief added.
The government on February 10 allowed foreigners from visa-free countries to enter the country for business and leisure purposes, after nearly two years of borders closure due to the pandemic.
BI Ports Operations chief Carlos Capulong said that among the arrivals in February, 154,661 or 72% are returning Filipinos.
Americans are the next top arrivals at 21,383, followed by Canadians with 4,026 and British nationals with 3,250 arrivals.
Capulong assured the public that the bureau is ready for the influx of foot traffic at the airports. “We have deployed enough officers and improved our e-gate services at our international ports to guarantee efficiency at the BI stations,” he added.
Since February 1, the Philippines eased protocols for arriving travelers as the government suspended its COVID-19 risk classifications for countries and territories.
Metro Manila and 38 other areas in the country also transitioned to Alert Level 1 status, the category with the loosest restrictions, on March 15. — Kristine Joy Patag
- Latest
- Trending
