Immigration downsizes operations at NAIA

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is scaling down its operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after airport administration announced that all flights will be transferred to Terminal 1 due to travel restrictions implemented to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Starting today, we are relocating our offices and operations at Terminals 2 and 3 to Terminal 1 where all flights to and from NAIA shall take place,” BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement on Sunday.

The Manila International Airport Authority recently announced that all operations at NAIA will be moved to Terminal 1 following the suspension of many flights due to the implementation of an enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

Because of this development, Morente said the BI has assigned a skeletal workforce at the NAIA enough to ensure the continuous delivery of immigration services to travelers.

“This would enable our personnel to lessen the risk of getting infected by this virus,” Morente said.

The downscaling of BI operations is also to ensure that hazards on the part of BI personnel will be minimized, the bureau said.

BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina said all immigration officers assigned at NAIA three terminals have been instructed to report for duty at Terminal 1 until normal flight operations resume.

With the downsizing of the operations, Medina said BI officers manning NAIA's immigration counters are now on skeletal force.

“We are now fully compliant with the requirements of the enhanced community quarantine wherein government employees are enjoined to maintain a minimal number of employees without compromising the delivery of services to the public,” he added.

Medina assured the public that despite the downsizing of operations, there will be sufficient BI officers who will conduct immigration procedures for passengers of the few international flights that will continue to fly in and out of the NAIA during the enhanced community quarantine. — RSJ, GMA News