BI to open e-gates for departing OFW

The new lanes shall cater only to departing OFW to ensure smoother and faster processing of OFW. #departureegates

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will launch its electronic gates (e-gates) at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before Christmas to hasten processing of travelers and reduce queues in immigration counters at the country’s premiere airport during the holiday rush.

According to Grifton Medina, BI-Port Operation Division chief, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente has already signed a memorandum of agreement with the service provider for the pilot testing of the e-gates initially installed at the NAIA 2 immigration departure area.

Medina said the e-gate system was implemented last year in the immigration arrival areas of three terminals of NAIA, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Davao International Airport and Clark International Airport.

He added that the implementation of the project was successful in lessening the long queues at the immigration counter.

“We are optimistic that the same success will be replicated when the scheme becomes fully operational in our airports’ immigration departure areas,” Morente said.

Morente added that as in the case of e-gates installed at the immigration arrival areas, the new lanes shall cater only to departing OFW to ensure smoother and faster processing for these Filipinos.

“We also thank President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bong Go for their support in this project. The welfare of our OFWs are always their top priority and concern,” he said.

Medina also said the project’s pilot testing and demonstration would last for six months and that the BI is targeting to process at least a 100,000 passengers before the project could become fully operational. The project’s entire cost will be shouldered by Ascent Solutions, a Singapore-based IT company that supplied the country’s e-gates.

The service provider has committed to initially operate the two e-gates installed and biometric machines at NAIA’s Terminal 2 for exclusive use of departing OFW and airline crew of Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Medina explained that the MOA merely allows the provider to demonstrate the functions and capability of its machines and that there is no obligation yet on the part of BI for the equipment.

He said that the other classes of passengers will still continue to undergo regular immigration inspection, although the BI is studying the feasibility of making the scheme available to permanent residents and other Alien Certificate Registration I-Card holders.