Unbearable long queues at Naia immigration

According to travelers, there have been long queues during immigration document processing at the terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

Expectedly, in our airports, considering that there are no automated machines to process immigration documents (passports/visas), longer time is needed to complete the process.

During peak hours, there may be a need to augment the number of immigration officers to man additional counters to do immigration document processing, including for seniors, persons with disability, and pregnant women. The worst is the fact that travelers are standing up while queuing for longer hours.

The standard three-hour leeway time for a traveler, especially for international flights, to be at the airport is mostly spent on queuing at immigration although the delay at times is also compounded during the check-in process at airline counters.

With the modernization plan of the New Naia Infrastructure Corporation, a consortium led by San Miguel Corp., there is a need for the Bureau of Immigration to adequately address the unbearable long queues during the processing of immigration documents.

I believe that shortening the time needed by a traveler to process his/her immigration documents at the Naia will serve as a “come-on” to travel and visit the Philippines on a regular basis.

Emiliano M. Manahan Jr.,

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