BI says foreign passengers slumped 95% since start of quarantine

July 15, 2020

The Bureau of Immigration on Wednesday said the number of international passengers who entered and exited the country since the start of the community quarantine in March dropped by at least 95 percent compared to the same period last year. 

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said passenger arrival volume from March 16 to June 30 declined by more than 96 percent while departure volume decreased by 95 percent vis-a-vis their number a year ago.

“We do not foresee these statistics to rise in the near future while the entire world is still fighting to defeat this coronavirus,” Morente said.

He said the sharp drop in passenger statistics is due to the suspension of international flights by different airlines, in addition to the imposition of travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Immigration deputy spokesperson and BI National Operations Center  acting chief Melvin Mabulac said only 189,000 passengers arrived from March 16 to June 30,  a far cry to the more than 5.16 million passengers who arrived in the same period in 2019.

He also said only 238,000 passengers left the country during the period compared to the 5.18 million who departed in that time last year.

Mabulac said it was only in June that the government allowed international flights to resume at the Clark and Mactan airports.

“Also included in these figures are the more than 16,000 seafarers who disembarked after being quarantined aboard their vessels anchored at the Manila Bay,” he said.

Morente assured the public that BI officers manning the country’s ports  will  be vigilant in thwarting the entry of unwanted aliens, and in combating human trafficking. Ella Dionisio/DMS