E-gates seen to ease decongest immigration counters with 8-to-15-second processing

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will start using electronic gates at the arrival section of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Monday.

According to Susan Enriquez's report on "24 Oras",  27 electronic gates, worth more than P300 million, will be used at the country's main airports.

To use the e-gates, the user will just have to tap his or her passport on the machine, which will then process the holder's personal information.

The machine will give instructions for finger scanning and picture taking. Once cleared, the user will be allowed to pass through the e-gate without going to an immigration counter.

The whole process would just take eight to 15 seconds.

According to Red Marinas, BI officer-in-charge at the NAIA, said only Filipinos would be allowed to use the e-gate.

"Specifically for Filipino passport users. Ang priority po natin dito ay 'yung mga OFWs saka 'yung mga kapwa natin Pilipino. 'Yung foreigners po kailangan dumaan talaga sa face to face inspection sa immigration officers natin," Marinas said.

He added that only passports issued 2016 onward will be accepted by the machine.

"'Yung 2016 below na wala pang chip di po 'yan inaaccept ng machine," Marinas said.

Five e-gates will be installed at NAIA Terminal 1 and at the Cebu International Airport. The Davao International Airport will have two e-gates.

Two e-gates will be put up at the Clark International Airport.

"Hopefully by the end of the year mapunuan po natin 'yan, sa first phase ng project po natin. It will be a manless counter," Marinas said. —NB, GMA News