Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the total arrivals recorded at the country’s airports this December hit 1.48 million while departures were recorded at over 750,000. departures recorded. He added that they expect a rise in the daily departures to 40,000 a day after New Year.
Tansingco noted that arrivals remain high after Christmas, as they have recorded as high as 57,000 arrivals in a day, while they also processed around 30,000 departures on December 26. “We project the numbers will change after New Year, when OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) and former Filipinos who came home for the holidays go back to their work and residence abroad,” he added.
The BT chief expressed hope the operations at the different ports will be smooth, and so far, there has been no major incidents or concerns recorded during the peak season.
“We hope the smooth operations continue until the New Year when most of those who celebrated Christmas here go back home,” he added.