Immigration braces for 110,000 holiday travelers

MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is gearing up for a surge of over 110,000 travelers during the holiday season, anticipating a rise in both arrivals and departures compared to previous years.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said Christmas weekend arrivals last year averaged more than 53,000 daily while departures were around 43,000.

“We are expecting the numbers to further increase this year and we believe that it will now exceed pre-pandemic numbers,” he said in a statement.

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To ensure smooth airport operations, Viado said the BI has implemented measures, including denying leave applications for frontline officers during the peak season to maintain full deployment.

“We have ramped up our operations at major international airports, with additional personnel to maintain a smooth flow of passengers,” he added.

The BI is reinforcing its manpower with personnel from its main office, rapid response teams, and mobile counters for efficient passenger processing.

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Before the pandemic, the BI recorded daily averages of 55,000 arrivals and 47,000 departures in December 2019.

With travel steadily rebounding, the BI is confident that the holiday season will set a positive benchmark for the return of pre-pandemic travel trends.