Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the bureau was waiving the overstaying fees of aliens affected by the airport closure on Sunday, following the eruption of the Taal Volcano.
Several international flights were at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday and Saturday, as aircraft were unable to depart the airport, due to heavy ashfall and volcanic debris in the airspace and runways.
“This was a natural disaster that nobody wanted to experience. To ease the burden of our tourists whose flights were canceled during the closure, we are waiving the overstaying fee for those affected,” the BI chief said.
Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina clarified that only those who overstayed because their flights were supposed to depart during the two-day closure will be exempted from paying overstaying fines.
He said that to be exempted from the charges, aliens must present at least one of the following to airport officers: boarding pass within the affected period, outbound ticket dated Jan. 12 or 13, 2020, or canceled immigration departure stamp bearing the same date.
He clarified that those whose visas have long expired were not exempt from penalties.
Classes in all levels and work in government in the affected areas of Calabarzon, NCR, and Region 3 were likewise suspended on Jan. 13.