PASAY CITY -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) operations at the airports are in full force as the country approaches its first month of implementing its eased border restrictions.

According to BI port operations division Chief Atty. Carlos Capulong, they have already implemented the 100% on-site work capacity and have resumed their prepandemic shifting schedule as they expect that the number of arriving passengers will increase in the next few weeks.

“From around 8,000 daily passengers on the first week of implementation of our opened borders, we are now seeing more than 9,000 daily passengers,” said Capulong.

“We are expecting this gradual increase as we transition to the new normal,” he added.

Capulong said that they are projecting that the figures will increase to 10-15K in the next few months.

Meanwhile, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said he has ordered border operations to prepare for the expected increase in travelers.

“We expect the number of travelers to further increase as the summer season approaches,” said Morente.

“This is a step towards the much-needed recovery of the tourism sector,” he added. (BI)