Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 22) — Authorities are expecting the bulk of travelers to arrive at airports and seaports across the country on Friday with just a few days before Christmas Day.
“As of now, we are experiencing a volume of arriving passengers in all our international ports,” Bureau of Immigration (BI) deputy spokesperson Melvin Mabulac told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
He said around 1.5 million air travelers are expected to arrive this holiday season. This is already almost the same as the 1.7 million recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Manila International Airport Authority on Thursday said it is projecting around 145,000 daily passengers this yuletide.
To cater to those going through airports, Mabulac said the BI will deploy more personnel. Immigration officers were also prohibited from filing a leave until January 15 as the agency also anticipates the influx of travelers leaving the country, he added.
Mabulac advised travelers to arrive at least three to four hours before their flights. He said passengers should really allocate more time during this season to ensure they will not miss their flight in case there will be long lines. The official noted the usual peak hours at immigration counters are around 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.
He also reminded passengers to ensure they bring the proper documents to avoid the need for a secondary inspection.
Meanwhile, Philippine Ports Authority spokesperson Eunice Samonte said 5.1 million passengers are expected to spend their holiday break in their home provinces or in tourist destinations. She noted this is higher than the 4.7 million logged in 2022.
“Based on our forecast, mayroon po tayong 300,000 average passengers daily and ang pinakamarami na inaasahan talaga natin ay today, Friday,” she said, noting that most of the passengers will be at the bigger ports like Batangas, and Calapan.
[Translation: Based on our forecast, we have 300,000 average passengers daily and we expect the highest number today, Friday.]
Samonte said there are currently no stranded passengers, while those with rescheduled trips staying at ports were given hot meals.
