Passengers queue at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Jan. 2, 2023.
(File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — There were 30,000 to 31,000 departures daily at all international airports after the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday.
“A lot of Filipinos have traveled this year as countries reopened their borders after the pandemic,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said, noting that the number increased from 21,000 to 25,000 departures recorded in the first week of December.
The BI also said that it recorded a total 13,224,309 departing passengers in 2023, with December being the peak month, accounting for 1.2 million departures.
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Among foreign nationals, South Koreans accounted for the highest number of departures at 1.55 million, followed by Americans with 1.19 million and the Chinese with 406,000.