BI-NAIA on ‘heightened alert’ during ECQ in Metro Manila

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Friday its unit at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is under “heightened alert” following the implementation of a two-week enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said those assigned at the airport were not covered by the Palace directive for the government offices in Metro Manila to maintain a skeleton workforce during the ECQ, which will run until August 20.

“We will continue to operate at full capacity at the NAIA to ensure that our services are not hampered and adequate manpower is available to serve passengers arriving and departing at our premiere port,” he said in a statement.

BI port operations chief Carlos Capulong added that immigration personnel assigned at the NAIA would continue to observe the same work scheme and schedule that was followed prior to the implementation of the ECQ.

“Officers at the airport are always on heightened alert in seeing to it that existing restrictions on international travel are observed and only those who are eligible to travel to the Philippines are allowed entry,” the BI said.

The BI currently implements travel restrictions on passengers from 10 countries namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to limit the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus.—AOL, GMA News