MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will restrict vacation leave among its airport personnel from October 30 to November 3 to ensure sufficient manpower amid the expected surge in travelers during the Undas holidays.
BI Spokesperson Anisha Hadji Hassan announced the measure Friday during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public forum, saying the agency is strengthening its airport operations ahead of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Hassan said limiting vacation leave approvals would help maximize the availability of immigration officers during the holiday travel rush.
The bureau is also deploying additional personnel to international airports and placing its Rapid Response Teams on standby to reinforce immigration counters when passenger volume increases.
According to Hassan, these teams can be immediately assigned to terminals experiencing heavy passenger traffic or requiring additional immigration officers.
She added that electronic gates are already operational to help speed up the processing of international travelers and reduce congestion at immigration checkpoints.
Meanwhile, the BI urged passengers to arrive at airports early, particularly during peak travel periods when several flights may be scheduled close together.
Travelers were also reminded to prepare complete travel documents before approaching immigration counters to avoid unnecessary delays.
Hassan emphasized the importance of completing the mandatory eTravel registration, which may be accomplished within 72 hours before departure from or arrival in the Philippines.
The bureau said advance preparation and compliance with immigration requirements would help ensure smoother passenger processing during the Undas travel period.
