Immigration bureau anticipates long lines at airports this holiday season
FILE PHOTO: Passengers form a line at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) counters in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 on April 10, 2017. – The BI says Monday, December 19, 2022, it is expecting long queues at its counters in airports this holiday season. Philippine Daily Inquirer / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday said it is expecting long queues at its counters in airports this holiday season.
“It’s really expected po this holiday season nakikita po natin na unti-unti pong tumataas ang [bilang ng] bumabyahe paparating ang kapaskuhan at bagong taon,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval told reporters.
(The number of holiday-season tourists is rising as expected, with Christmas and New Year’s Day both drawing closer.)
According to Sandoval, even immigration agencies in other countries reported the same issue during the Tokyo Immigration Forum.
“Nakikita po natin na the same thing is happening all over the world, talaga pong may increase sa travelers at nagkakaroon po ng bahagyang pila sa mga immigration counters all over the world,” she said.
(We see that the same thing is happening all over the world, there is indeed an increase in travelers and there is a slight queue at the immigration counters all over the world.)
3 hours before flight schedule
To avoid missing their flight because of large lineups at check-in, Sandoval advised passengers to be at the airport three hours before takeoff.
She also said that travelers should go directly to immigration after completing their check-in at airline counters to speed up the process.
“Minsan po kasi ang nagiging problema is some passengers po go to different areas of the airport before going to the immigration area, nagkakaroon po ng buildup,” she said.
(Some passengers wander around the airport beforehand, causing a congestion at immigration.)
When asked about what the immigration bureau is doing to alleviate the situation, Sandoval said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco already directed concerned personnel to ensure that all its immigration booths and counters are fully-manned.
“The other is to really monitor ‘yung ating operations on the ground to make sure po na smooth ang ating procedures (our procedures are smooth),” she said.
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