The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) is currently looking at a significant increase in daily departures throughout the first two weeks of the new year.

Departure numbers may exceed 40 thousand per day as travellers head back to their home countries or provinces after the holidays.

According to BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado: “We have processed nearly 40,000 daily departures right after Christmas. We expect these figures to climb further after the New Year, as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and former Filipinos who returned home for the holidays resume work and return to their residences abroad.” 

A spike in numbers

Throughout December, arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) consistently went over 40,000 a day, peaking at 51,000 arrivals recorded in a single day.

Viado also pointed out how the bureau’s operations stayed highly efficient throughout the peak of the holiday season, and no serious incidents were reported during this high-traffic period.

He remarked: “We are optimistic that these smooth operations will continue through the New Year, as the volume of travelers returning home abroad increases.”