Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 15) – The Bureau of Immigration said Wednesday that inbound and outbound international travel significantly dropped by 95-percent since the community quarantine in March.
In a statement on Wednesday, the bureau noted that the steep decline was recorded in March 16 to June 30.
Only 189,000 passengers arrived during the dates, far less than the more than 5.16 million passengers in the same period last year, said Immigration Deputy Spokesperson and National Operations Center Acting Chief Melvin Mabulac.
He added that only 238,000 passengers left the country during the period compared to the 5.18 million departures last year.
President Rodrigo Duterte placed all of Luzon under lockdown in March 16 to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said he sees no immediate recovery for the travel industry.
“We do not foresee these statistics to rise in the near future while the entire world is still fighting to defeat this coronavirus,” said Morente.
Manila International Airport Authority announced recently that some international flights have resumed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on July 8.
