BEGINNING April 1, Filipinos coming abroad will no longer be given arrival stickers when they pass through electronic gates (E-gates) installed in international ports of entry of the country, the Bureau of Immigration announced.
In a public advisory, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the agency decided to streamline e-gates processing to maximize its efficiency and transition to label-free border clearance.
Tansingco bared that in lieu of the stickers, inbound Filipino travelers will receive an email confirmation of their arrival via the address they provided in the eTravel system.
Tansingco said the removal of the e-gates’ sticker-printing feature is also consistent with the BI’s mandate to deliver “effective and efficient immigration service” to the traveling public.
However, the BI chief stressed and clarified that despite the stickers’ removal passengers may still request to have their passports affixed with arrival stamps by immigration officers stationed in the ports if they wish.
Launched five years ago, the e-gates aim to speed up the immigration arrival clearing process for Filipino passengers to provide them with a hassle-free travel environment upon their return to the Philippines.
A total of 21 electronic gates are currently installed in major international airports, and more are expected to be added within the year. Tansingco also said that should the BI’s new law be passed, he believes that the BI can more aggressively add new technologies to further increase the efficiency of immigration service.
metrosundaily
