THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday said that international flight operations would likely “return to normal” before the year ends amid the intensified vaccination drive of the government.
BI port operations chief, lawyer Carlos Capulong, said the bureau is operating at full capacity at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) so as not to compromise its service to the traveling public as the agency expects gradual increase in flights in the coming months as the country slowly reopens its borders.
“We are anticipating new batches of immigration officers to be deployed to our airports to ensure we have the adequate personnel to cope with this anticipated increase in the volume of international passengers,” he said.
Meanwhile, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente has advised the public that its offices in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces of Laguna, Rizal and Cavite would continue to operate with a skeleton work force.
He said this is in compliance with the resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) placing the Metro Manila Plus area bubble under general community quarantine “with heightened restrictions.”
The IATF directed all government offices in the said areas to maintain a skeleton work force of up to maximum of 50 percent of their operational capacity.
BI’s main office in Intramuros, Manila and its satellite and extension offices in the NCR Plus will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The BI chief also advised the public that only those who have registered and secured slots via the bureau’s online appointment system could transact business in the bureau’s main offices in Intramuros.
“We appeal to our clientele to bear with us as this appointment scheme is necessary to ensure strict social distancing and protect everyone from getting infected with the virus,” he said.