Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and all other ports of entry nationwide were banned from going on leave starting November 15 to ensure there is adequate manpower to serve the traveling public before, during and after the Christmas holiday season.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the ban on leave will remain in effect until Jan. 15, thus no application for vacation leave will be entertained or approved during the said two-month period.
“This is the time of the year when there is always an upsurge and influx of passengers and other international ports as Filipinos abroad, mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), Balikbayans or former Filipinos, would spend the holidays with their families or relatives here,” Tansingco said in a statement.
He added that the ban applies to all BI port personnel, such as those deployed at the NAIA; the airports in Clark, Mactan, Davao and Kalibo; and Zamboanga international seaport.
“We have to see to it that our counters at the airports are fully manned during the holidays when there is a tremendous volume of international passengers arriving and departing at the airports,” the BI chief said.
He stated that fully manned immigration counters will facilitate the quick and efficient immigration processing of passengers.
Tansingco bared that the influx of arriving and departing passengers has already began even before the Undas holiday break.
“Our kababayans abroad have started to come home while foreigners who wish to visit or reunite with their families in their native lands have also began leaving,” he observed.
From January to October 2023, more than 20 million passengers have arrived and departed the country. The number is expected to significantly rise during the last two months of the year.
