Covid-hit BI deploys augmentation force

With Covid-19 rendering many immigration officers out of commission, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday assured the public that the country’s primary airports will be well-manned through its augmentation deployment.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that 155 additional immigration officers will provide support at frontline services to fill up temporary vacancies left by Covid-stricken personnel.

The additional personnel would be deployed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Clark International Airport (CIA).

The backup officers will render primary inspection duties as some of the frontliners are on quarantine while battling Covid-19.

Members of the augmentation force will be sourced from back-end offices of the BI like at its Port Operations Division, as well as from its main and satellite offices in the metro.

As of Thursday, the BI has recorded a total of 158 Covid-positive employees assigned at the POD, 132 of whom were detailed at the NAIA and 14 at CIA.

In all, 180 BI officers are undergoing quarantine.

Morente said that BI has been providing free swab testing to its personnel while ensuring their vaccination against the virus, including booster doses.