Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration is all set to implement digitized arrival cards and records. The aim is to limit human to human contact at ports. The Bureau believes that under the ‘new normal’ with this pandemic, it will be helpful for effective surveillance of the passengers.
On Wednesday, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente informed that digitized arrival cards will be used in different international ports in the country. They will soon introduce an advanced passenger processing and information system. The passengers will get digitized arrival cards and boarding passes for international passengers entering and exiting the country’s port.
“These new paperless travel control systems and procedures are just among several innovative protocols that we will be introducing under a new normal environment during this pandemic,” Morente said in a statement.
The arrival card will consist of some additional details of the passengers which will help the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) in contact tracing. This information will help in locating persons who require monitoring.
BI is in discussion with different airlines about the logistics and procedures for implementing the initiative. They are planning to make this initiative operational as soon as possible.
This is one of the priority projects of the Philippines Bureau of Immigration. Amid this life-threatening disease, it is important to take appropriate measures at the port. The initiative will not only help in contact tracing of the passengers but will also ease the port operations to more effectively monitor and screen arriving foreign nationals.
According to BI Port Operations Division chief Grifton Medina, before the departure for the Philippines, the digitized arrival cards will be filled out by Philippine-bound passengers at their port of origin.
The system will ease the tracking of the passenger details as the data will be integrated and sorted in the system. With the implementation of the system, one will not have to bury his head inside the boxes of arrival cards in search of passenger details. Ports will be able to provide the data faster to contact tracers with just one click.
