BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco called for the expansion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to accommodate a bigger immigration area.
Tansingco made the call following news reports of passengers experiencing long queues at the NAIA.
The lines, according to Tansingco, are the result of the transfer of more flights. NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 have witnessed an unprecedented surge in international travelers since stop operations of international flights in Terminal 2.
The BI reported a record-breaking influx of passengers at both terminals, leading to long queues and a heightened need for bigger and more modern airport.
According to the latest data provided by the BI, NAIA Terminal 1 experienced a remarkable increase in daily average international travelers since June 16, 2023. The terminal recorded 28,956 passengers per day, marking a significant 48.1% rise from the previous average of 19,553 passengers prior to the transfer.
Similarly, NAIA Terminal 3 also noted a substantial surge in international passenger traffic. With a daily average of 33,682 travelers since June 16, 2023, Terminal 3 witnessed an increase of 19.58% from the pre-transfer average of 28,168 passengers.
“We have added more immigration officers to service travelers,” said Tansingco. “Now we see more immigration officers on duty than installed counters,” he added.
Tansingco shared that they have likewise deployed at least 8 mobile counters per terminal to help ease lines.
The BI Chief said that airports in other countries have big immigration areas to accommodate more counters and passengers.
“We are thankful to the airport management as they have committed to expand the immigration area. We hope that the space would be sufficient for us to be able to install more counters and deploy more officers,” said Tansingco.
The agency has recently deployed an additional 59 new immigration officers that graduated from its academy earlier this month.
Tansingco shared that he has also initiated several digitization projects, aiming to expedite processing times and enhance efficiency. “We have started with tourist visa extensions and other common BI transactions,” said Tansingco. “Our long term project is to digitize immigration screening at the airports,” he stated.
Currently, each shift of BI officers at the NAIA T3 process around 4,000 to 6,000 arriving and departing passengers.
Tansingco believes that a bigger immigration area would allow for a faster and more convenient experience for the traveling public.
