The Bureau of Customs has deployed more personnel to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in anticipation of the increase number of returning Overseas Filipino Workers.
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Customs-NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan said the augmentation workforce comes as an initiative of the port as they anticipates the influx of returning Filipinos due to the lifting of some restrictions for air travel brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, not only in passenger area but in cargo warehouses.
She said a total of 63 examiners and appraisers were deployed. “There are also additional frontliners from warehouses doing augmentation despite the risk of possible exposure.”
“The bureau through the Port of NAIA increased its manpower to extend assistance to returning Overseas Filipino Workers and other repatriates in International Airports under the Port’s jurisdiction,” said Talusan.
She added her office and the Customs frontliners through the guidance of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero are “providing government service 24/7 and ready to assist travelers arriving in the country.”
Talusan also assures all arriving passengers that increased manpower shall aim to make Customs clearance faster and more efficient.
Meanwhile, the Transportation department joined the National Task Force for COVID-19, and concerned government agencies, in establishing a program aimed to assist and transport stranded OFWs in Metro Manila back to their respective provinces.
This was in response to the call of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to send stranded OFWs back to their provinces,
As of July 30, the “Hatid-Tulong” program has assisted and served a total of 115,724 OFWs. Of the numbers, 46,076 were transported to their provinces from the airport.
Also, in NAIA Terminal 2, Philippine Airlines launched a One-Stop-Shop (OSS) center to help OFWs taking the mandatory COVID-19 swab testing.
PAL’s One-Stop-Shop is capable of testing 1,200 passengers in a day and producing test results within 48 hours.
READ: SBMA blasts wrong info on OFWs’ return