AdvocatesTV • June 17, 2020
BI requires online appointment for foreign nationals amid COVID-19 pandemic
Photo from Official Website of Philippine Information Agency
Foreign nationals in the Philippines are discouraged from doing walk-in transactions in a bid to decongest the offices of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
BI acting spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said foreign nationals should set an appointment online before going to any immigration office to avoid getting inconvenienced as they will not be allowed to enter without an appointment.
“If mag transact sila dapat ay mayroong appointment kasi hindi sila basta-basta papasukin. We discourage walk-in applicants to observe social distancing,” Mabulac said during Laging Handa on Wednesday.
The online appointment is part of the BI’s measures to ensure health safety at their offices amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mabulac said all of their offices nationwide have already resumed its operations since June 1.
The main office of the BI in Intramuros, Manila was temporarily shut down after one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Mabulac said the COVID-19 patient was provided medical attention while other employees were required to undergo rapid testing to avoid the spread of the coronavirus disease.
He added that all nine immigration officers of the BI, who earlier tested positive for COVID-19 in the rapid testing have yielded negative results in the polymerase chain reaction tests at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
