BI increases operational capacity to 80% in NCR offices

This undated photo shows the facade of the Bureau of Immigration’s main office in the city of Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday announced that the agency increased its on-site working capacity to 80% in all its Metro Manila offices after the government placed the region under the less strict Alert Level 2.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente stated that the measure is pursuant to the government’s decision to revert the quarantine status in the city to Alert Level 2 from Alert Level 3.

Under Alert Level 2, office operations of all BI branches in the National Capital Region would function from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.

Clients who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to create appointments through the bureau’s online appointment system to undertake their transactions with the bureau, according to Morente.

“As proof that they are fully vaccinated, persons entering the BI’s offices should present their vaccination cards or certificates, or they will not be allowed entry,” the commissioner said in a press release.

Individuals including aliens and fully-vaccinated who wish to submit their annual report at the BI head office in Intramuros, Manila, must still request for slots in the online appointment system, added Morente.

The national government has retained the Alert Level 3 status of Metro Manila from January 16 to 31 following a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, including the increase of the Omicron variant infections, which is said to be more transmissible than the Delta variant that exacerbated the nation’s last COVID-19 outbreak in 2021.

Metro Manila including the provinces of Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Basilan are placed under Alert Level 2 starting February 1, Malacañang said on Sunday. —Jericho Zafra, trainee

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