BI EXPECTS 110,000 TRAVELERS DURING HOLIDAY SEASON

BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that they are expecting more than 110,000 travelers during the holiday season.

Viado said that last year, Christmas weekend arrivals was at an average of more than 53,000 while departures were at an average of 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.

Prior to the pandemic, the BI saw an average of 55,000 daily arrivals during the month of December. They likewise recorded an average of 47,000 departures in December 2019.

Viado assured the traveling public that preparations have been made to ensure smooth operations during the holiday season.

As a regular practice, applications for leave of frontline officers are denied during the peak season to ensure full deployment capacity.

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

“Our team is closely monitoring our operations,” he added.

In addition to the new officers, the BI is deploying personnel from its main office to support airport operations.

The BI has also said that they are activating its rapid response teams and deploying mobile counters to ensure efficient processing during the peak season.