BI to launch e-gates at Naia before Christmas for departing OFWs

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday announced that they will launch electronic gates (e-gates) for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) before Christmas.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said pilot testing of the e-gates will initially be at the Naia 2 immigration departure area, adding that he already signed a memorandum of agreement with the service provider.

BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina, meanwhile, said that the service provider has committed to install and operate two e-gates and biometric machines at Naia Terminal 2 catering exclusively for OFWs and airline crew of Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Medina said the pilot testing will last for six months, targeting at least 100,000 passengers before the project becomes fully operational.

Medina said the project’s entire cost will be shouldered by Ascent Solutions, a Singapore-based IT company who supplied the e-gates.

Replicate success

Morente expressed hopes that the installation of the new e-gates will replicate the success of the earlier installed e-gates in arrival areas of NAIA, and international airports in Mactan-Cebu, Davao, and Clark.

The e-gates in arrival areas were installed in 2018 and showed a drop in incidence of long queues in the airports, BI said.

“We also thank President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bong Go for their support in this project. The welfare of our OFWs are always their top priority and concern,” Morente said.

The move was made in an effort to hasten immigration processes at the airports and avoid long queues.

Edited by JE