Flying out of PH? Be at airport 4 hours early

INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

PASSENGERS flying out of the country must be at airports four hours early as part of expected beefed-up security measures, including stricter immigration protocols.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) issued the reminder following President Duterte’s declaration of a state of emergency after the bomb attack in Davao City on Sept. 2 that left 14 dead and wounded more than 60.

“Expect stricter and longer immigration protocols in view of the state of lawlessness. This mandates all agencies in the customs, immigration and quarantine services to tighten security,” said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.

International passengers should be at the airport early to allow for security baggage checks, check in at airlines and immigration inspection, he said.

Morente said travelers should be cleared for departure at the immigration counter at least 45 minutes before the flight.

It takes 45 seconds usually for an immigration officer to process a departing passenger, as long as the passenger fulfills BI requirements on departure and boarding formalities.

“The processing time could take longer if the immigration officer deems it necessary to refer a passenger for secondary examination by the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU) at the airport,” he said.

The TCEU is primarily responsible for checking if passengers referred for secondary examination are possible victims of human trafficking or illegal recruitment scams. It may decide to defer departure, pending the passenger’s compliance with BI requirements, Morente said.

In recent days since the Davao City blast, roads leading to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) have been jammed because of security checkpoints inspecting vehicles entering Naia premises.

This prompted airport and airline officials to advise passengers on domestic and international flights to arrive earlier at the airport.