The Bureau of Immigration (BI) released a video that showed the process of immigration officers at the airport.
This came following the backlash the bureau received for the perceived lengthy interviews which often cost the flights and offloading of some Filipino travelers.
Travelers took to social media to complain about the bureau’s request to present personal documents and information that are not related to their overseas trips. These include a college diploma and a yearbook.
RELATED: READ: ‘Power tripping?’: Pinay traveler misses flight due to lengthy immigration interview|Pinoy traveler’s ‘anti-offloading’ toga outfit goes viral
In a video uploaded on April 3, the BI detailed the steps or questions that an immigration officer (IO) asks passengers at the primary inspection counter.
The video clip featured an IO interviewing a Filipino traveler who’s bound for Singapore.
In the video, the bureau listed the following documents that travelers should bring on their departure day:
- Valid Philippine passport for at least six months
- Copy or proof of return ticket
- Valid visa (if required)
The passenger featured in the video was also asked to bring out her employment identification card and proof of accommodation.
After she was able to present all these items, the IO placed a stamp on her passport and cleared her for departure.
The video has since earned 428,1000 views on Facebook. The post also garnered 11,000 reactions and 3,300 comments on the platform.
In the comments section, some Filipinos hoped that their immigration process experiences were as smooth as the one shown in the video.
Other Facebook users, meanwhile, testified that they also faced courteous and polite IOs in their past trips.
BI has recently become the subject of one headline to another after a Pinay freelancer went viral for her story about missing her flight because of a lengthy interview with an IO.
The traveler recalled in a video that the IO asked for her college yearbook and other personal details.
Offloading stories and other bad experiences at the immigration inspection counter were soon talked about on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and other similar platforms.
In response to these criticisms, BI apologized to the Filipina traveler and to other travelers who were inconvenienced by their protocols.
“We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused the Filipina passenger and other Filipino passengers,” it said in a previous statement.
READ: Bureau of Immigration urged to refund flight expenses amid offloading, missed flights
