THE Bureau of Immigration has reshuffled more than 300 officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as part of its continuing measures to address corruption activities among its personnel.
The 341 BI personnel have been given new terminal assignments starting Sunday following the approval of the rotation scheme by BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente.
The BI said the reshuffle also affected 77 immigration supervisors assigned at the airport.
The rotation of the BI personnel would be the last for this year as the next reshuffle will be implemented in the first quarter of 2022, according to BI Acting Port Operations Chief Carlos B. Capulong.
Lawyer Capulong noted that the number of BI personnel reshuffled last October 3 excluded the 99 newly-hired immigration inspectors undergoing on-the-job training at the airport.
Earlier, Morente announced that the bureau is fast-tracking the recruitment of nearly 200 new BI officers who will be deployed to the NAIA and other major ports early next year.
The BI chief said the agency would need more inspectors in light of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) plan to raise the daily cap on passenger arrivals and reopen other airports to international travel.
Morente added he is hopeful international travel will normalize early 2022 in light of the government’s vaccination program, which is expected to pave the way for herd immunity against Covid-19.