No Holy Week break for BI port personnel

The Bureau of Immigration’s counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines – Bureau of Immigration port personnel will not be allowed to take a leave to enhance services in key ports during the Holy Week break, BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said on Tuesday.

Medina issued the order in compliance with BI Commissioner Jaime Morente’s directive.

Medina said all BI personnel, including the terminal heads and duty supervisors, cannot file for a leave from April 8 to 22, except for meritorious or emergency reasons.

Hence, an additional 50 BI personnel have been deployed to man immigration counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport during the Holy Week, when a surge in air travelers is expected.

“We have also instructed members of our travel control and enforcement unit and border control and intelligence unit to double their vigilance during this critical period,” Medina said.

“We assure the public that we will do our best to foil attempts by these syndicates to take advantage of the holidays in sneaking their victims in or out of the country,” Medina added.

The BI also said that it expects to have shorter queues in airports as 300 additional immigration officers were hired. /gsg

READ: Expect shorter queues in airports for Holy Week — BI