Around 62,000 people have entered the Philippines over the weekend for Christmas, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
A total of 32,000 arrivals were reported on Christmas Eve alone. Majority entered via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.
There were 28,968 arrivals logged on Christmas Day, December 25.
“This is significantly higher than the last two years. Noong mga nakaraang dalawang taon, medyo malungkot ang holiday seasons dahil wala halos bumabyahe due to travel restrictions imposed worldwide,” Sandoval said during a public briefing.
“Nakikita na natin uli ‘yung sigla at saya sa ating mga paliparan,” she added.
Sandoval assured the public that immigration processing time will be quick amid the increased number of arrivals.
“Sumusunod tayo sa international standards na 45 seconds processing time per person,” she said.
Earlier, the Manila International Airport Authority said that NAIA is currently in the middle of the Christmas holiday peak with 125,000 passengers a day.
— Ronald Espartinez