MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced the opening of a dedicated Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) wing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, ensuring faster and more efficient immigration processing for Filipino workers traveling abroad.
The new expansion aligns with the President Ferdinand ‘Bong Bong’ Marcos, Jr.’s goal of improving services for OFWs, recognizing their significant contributions to the country’s economy.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed gratitude to airport authorities for the expansion of the immigration area, which will help decongest processing lines, especially during peak travel seasons. He said that the government continues to prioritize measures that enhance ease of travel while ensuring border security.
He added that the change has resulted in shorter queues of departing passengers, including Filipino and foreign tourists, who are processed in the airport’s regular immigration counters.
“This dedicated OFW wing is a testament to our commitment to making immigration procedures smoother and more efficient for our modern-day heroes,” said Viado. “We recognize their sacrifices, and we want to ensure they experience faster and more convenient processing as they leave for work abroad.”
The expansion includes six additional counter spaces, manned by 12 immigration officers.
The move comes just in time for long holidays this month, traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the year. With increased counters and a dedicated processing area for OFWs, the BI expects to provide faster service and reduced waiting times for outbound Filipino workers.
Viado thanked the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) for their support in facilitating the successful implementation of the project.
The BI records an average of more than 3,400 OFWs departing from NAIA daily, hence the need for special lanes that will exclusively conduct immigration formalities for these travelers.
“This is just one of the many steps we are taking to modernize immigration services,” Viado added. “We will continue working with our partners to enhance facilities and ensure that our kababayans receive the best possible service when they travel.” #
