For Filipinos looking to work or travel overseas such as here in Kuwait, there will be an update as to the requirements for immigration enforced by the Philippine government starting this month. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has released an updated version of travel cards for international passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
According to Commissioner Jaime Morente of the Bureau of Investigation, the newly-printed travel cards, which have been in distribution since early this month, aim to enhance the monitoring procedures for foreigners entering the country, as well as the safe exit of Filipinos to other countries.
Furthermore, the BI Commissioner explained that the use of the upgraded travel cards will help improve the data gathering efforts of the agency for alien monitoring and mapping, as well as for the collection of important information to improve safety protocols and immigration practices for Filipinos leaving the country.
BI Rolls out New Travel Cards for International Passengers
The use of the updated travel cards will significantly enhance border management regulated by the Bureau, shared Commissioner Morente.
For his part on the matter, the BI OIC Deputy Commissioner, Marc Red Mascariñas added that the newly-issued travel cards have already been in distribution to various international airlines all over the Philippines a few weeks back.
Copies of newly-printed travel cards are now available at the arrival and departure areas of the immigration centres in all three NAIA terminals, Mr Mascariñas further shared.
As to how the new travel cards will be used, travellers are required to fill out all their travel-related information on the official document card such as their full name, contact number, occupation, nationality, passport number, flight/voyage number, purpose of trip, port of exit/destination, and their address in the Philippines and abroad. They will also be required to affix their signature under the statement of declaration to certify that all the information provided in the card is correct, valid, and complete.
The use of immigration travel cards has been a universal practice in many parts of the world to date. The procedure ensures proper documentation of passengers for border management and data collection used for passenger statistics. The BI also disclosed that the old arrival and departure cards have already been phased out because they lack features for collecting sufficient information regarding travelers entering or leaving the country.