The Bureau of Immigration said it has recorded almost 50 thousand arrivals during New Year's Eve.

Records show that a total of 49,892 passengers arrived on 31 December last year, 34 percent of whom are foreign nationals.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that this shows that the country is regaining its momentum as a popular holiday destination for foreign nationals.

Tansingco added that both foreign and Filipino guests attended the new year countdown hosted by several hotels and establishments in Metro Manila.

The BI shared that for the month of December 2013, the bureau processed a total of 1.6 million arriving passengers, which is more than their initial projection of 1.5 million.

There were also no major concerns or issues reported during the BI's operations this holiday season.

"Better public service is our gift for the holidays," Tansingco said. "We are happy that our measures are working, and we vow to continuously improve our systems for 2024 and the years to come," he added.