All Bureau of Immigration employees return onsite

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) operations at the airports are in full force as the country approaches its first month of implementing its eased border restrictions.

According to BI Port Operations Division Chief Atty. Carlos Capulong, they have already implemented the 100% on-site work capacity and have resumed their pre-pandemic shifting schedule as they expect that the number of arriving passengers will increase in the next few weeks.

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“From around 8,000 daily passengers on the first week of implementation of our opened borders, we are now seeing more than 9,000 daily passengers,” said Capulong. “We are expecting this gradual increase as we transition to the new normal,” he added.

Capulong said that they are projecting that the figures will increase to 10-15k in the next few months.

Meanwhile, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said he has ordered border operations to prepare for the expected increase in travelers. “We expect the number of travelers to further increase as the summer season approaches,” said Morente. “This is a step towards the much-needed recovery of the tourism sector,” he added.

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According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, it is not yet appropriate for the entire country to de-escalate to Alert Level 1 because numerous places have yet to meet the Inter-Agency Task Force’s parameters (IATF).

Duque made the remark in response to the National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) request on Monday to raise the country’s alert level to 1 and reopen schools for face-to-face instruction “to increase domestic economy and offset global risk.”

Also read: 63-year-old grandpa arrested for 1,500 counts of rape in Catanduanes

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4 illegal cockpits in Muntinlupa raided

Police arrested 24 cockfight players in separate operations against illegal sabong this Sunday.

In Espeleta-Pantalan in Barangay Poblacion, Muntinlupa, 10 men were caught in the operation, including a 62-year-old grandfather.

P7,180 bet money and 2 dead gamecocks were recovered in the area.

Seven men were also caught in a cockpit in Barangay Central Bicutan in Taguig. Three of the suspects are senior citizens. P2,000 stakes and 2 gamecocks were confiscated from the cockpits.

Those caught will face charges of illegal gambling.

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