E-gates pilot testing at NAIA departure area set this week

By Ma. Cristina Arayata/Philippine News Agency

Two units of electronic gates (e-gates) installed on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2’s departure area. (Photo courtesy of Grifton Medina)

MANILA — The two electronic gates (e-gates) which have been installed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2’s departure area will be pilot tested this week, an official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday.

“These were installed last Sunday, and we plan to use these within the week,” Immigration Port Operations Division chief Grifton Medina told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Earlier, Medina said the two e-gates are prototypes given by a manufacturer, which means it is at no cost to the government. The prototypes will be tested so that the BI could fix glitches if any.

He said the e-gates at the departure area will initially be only for the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and crew, noting that they have the lowest risk in terms of assessment because they have been already screened by the Overseas Workers Welfare Association and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The prototypes should be for the frequent flyers and those who are pre-screened, he reiterated, adding that the BI does not compromise border security.

Having the e-gates also addresses congestion at the airport. It only takes 10-15 seconds to pass through an e-gate, compared to the 45 seconds one would spend at a regular counter.

Currently, the Philippines has 21 e-gates to cater to arriving Filipino passengers– 13 are at NAIA, three each in Cebu and Clark, and two are in Davao.

The BI plans to install another 20 e-gates in the departure areas of NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 next year.

For the latest updates about this story, visit the Philippine News Agency website

Popular

House begins deliberations on proposed P6.793-T nat’l budget for 2026

By Brian Campued “Bawat piso ay may pinaglalaanan, at bawat gastusin ay dapat may pakinabang sa tao.” The House of Representatives would ensure that every peso...

PBBM to Herbosa: Ensure implementation of ‘zero balance billing’ in all DOH hospitals

By Brian Campued President Ferdinand R. Marcos instructed Department of Health (DOH) Sec. Teodoro Herbosa to ensure that all DOH hospitals are well-versed in implementing...

PBBM lauds solar pump irrigation project in Eastern Visayas

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet Consistent with his mandate of incorporating renewable energy with the government’s resolve to modernize agriculture infrastructure, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr....

KWF working to save 40 dying native languages in PH

By Brian Campued Language is not just a system of communication used by a particular community and conveyed by speech, writing, or gestures—it reflects the...