The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Saturday said it expects more than 110,000 travelers during the holiday season.
According to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, Christmas weekend arrivals last year reached 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,” Viado said.
Prior to the pandemic, the BI saw an average of 55,000 daily arrivals during December. It likewise recorded an average of 47,000 departures in December 2019.
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… Our team is closely monitoring our operations,” Viado said.
In addition to the new officers, the BI is deploying personnel from its main office to support airport operations. It is also activating its rapid response teams and deploying mobile counters to ensure efficient processing during the peak season.