President Duterte has moved to solve the crippling absenteeism at the country’s main gateway, informing Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials on Monday that he has certified as “urgent” the passage of the Immigration Act.
Duterte made the promise shortly after his arrival from a three-day visit to the Middle East.
“I have certified the Immigration Act as urgent. Just wait for a while and we will attend to your problem soon,” the President said.
“Marami pa tayong problema, konting tiis lamang at bibigyan natin ng solusyon ang inyong mga problema [We still have many problems. Have patience; we will provide solutions to your problems],” Duterte told BI officials, headed by Commissioner Jaime Morente, and immigration supervisors who met him upon his return from his Middle East visit onboard Philippine Airlines Flight PR 001.
Red Mariñas, BI Port Operations Division head, said many of the immigration officers (IOs) manning the immigration counters filed vacation leave due to unpaid overtime. The temporary lack of personnel has created long queues of arriving and departing passengers in four Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals.
Mariñas said that, if approved, the salary grade of IOs receiving P16,000 per month will increase to P24,000 to P26,000 per month.
Mariñas added that they now have a 95-percent attendance rate in four terminals, ready to serve the local and foreign passengers, with the hope this will reach 100 percent soon.
Meanwhile, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Ed Monreal said the PNP-Aviation Security Group personnel, including bomb-sniffing dogs, will remain and will be properly dispatched in every sensitive areas to protect passengers from terrorist threats.
Monreal was also assured by Mariñas that immigration officers’ attendance has remained at 95 percent in four terminals.
Mariñas earlier said some 140 immigration personnel were sent to the airport to augment immigration officers in processing travel documents of arriving and departing passengers, with another 341 personnel on standby at the command post ready for deployment.
“We now have two to three immigration officers on duty, especially during the peak hours, in every counter,” he said. He defended that some IOs were not able to report for work due to lack of money for transportation expenses.