BI eyes replacing 50% of manual counters with e-gates

The Bureau of Immigration said Monday it is seeking to replace half of the manual counters in airports with electronic gates.

According to the BI, the e-gates can lessen the processing time of travelers to 8 seconds per passenger, a decrease from the 45-second Immigration processing time followed by the agency.

“E-gates are now the standard in most countries. We want things faster and more efficient, to better improve the experience of our travelers,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.

The BI said the procurement of e-gates is included in the agency’s approved information systems strategic plan for 2024-2026.

At present, the agency said 21 e-gates are distributed at major international airports nationwide, most of which are deployed in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

It said it will procure more e-gates starting in 2024, adding that a total of 43 e-gates are expected to be installed nationwide by 2026.

The BI said it expects the project to cost an estimated P1.9 billion.

Meanwhile, Tansingco said the agency’s operations are prepared for the increase of passengers for the Christmas season.

“Ber months are here again, and because of this we expect a higher number of arriving and departing passengers,” he said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News