Holiday travelers are expected to hit more than 110,000 this year, according to Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.
Viado stated in a press release on Friday that last year’s average number of arrivals over Christmas weekend was over 53,000, while the average number of departures was 43,000.
“We are expecting the numbers to further increase this year, and we believe that it will now exceed pre-pandemic numbers,” he said.
Before the pandemic, the BI saw an average of 55,000 daily arrivals during the month of December. It also recorded an average of 47,000 departures in December 2019.
According to Viado, measures have been taken to ensure seamless operations during the holiday season, such as preventing frontline officers from taking time off to guarantee a sufficient number of personnel.
To ensure efficient processing, the BI is also deploying mobile counters and activating its rapid response teams.
“We have ramped up our operations at major international airports, with additional personnel to maintain a smooth flow of passengers,” said Viado. “Our team is closely monitoring our operations.” — VBL, GMA Integrated News
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