BI now allows frontline personnel to greet travelers for holidays

Immigration officers are now allowed to greet travelers in airports amid the holiday season, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

However, frontline immigration officers are still prohibited from receiving gifts, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said on Monday.

“It’s a different thing ngayon for this Christmas season. Pwede pong bumati kasi nakita natin na it’s really part of Philippine tradition, it’s part of our culture na maging warm and welcoming tuwing kapaskuhan,” Sandoval said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.

(It’s a different thing nowadays for this Christmas season. Frontline immigration officers are now allowed to extend holiday greetings because we saw that being warm and welcoming is part of the Filipino culture.)

“Ang pagbati po ay walang masama, nakikita natin, as long as hindi po tatanggap ang ating mga tauhan nang kahit anong regalo o token o anything from the traveling  passengers,” Sandoval said.

(There’s nothing wrong with greeting as long as the immigration officers will not accept any gifts or tokens from the traveling  passengers.)

The BI official further reminded their frontline personnel to keep the greetings respectful and inclusive to ensure that all travelers will feel welcome regardless of their faith or background.

“Sa traveling public, instead of gifts, instead of tokens, maganda na ang nire-request na lang natin sa frontliners natin ay matamis na pagbati…ngayong holiday season,” Sandoval added.

(Instead of gifts or tokens, it may be better for the traveling public that we request our frontliners to extend their sincere greetings this holiday season.)

Earlier, the BI said it is expecting around 110,000 daily arrivals and departures in the country’s airports for the holidays. —KG, GMA Integrated News