For Filipinos looking to travel out of the country soon either for work or travel especially here in Singapore, there will be an additional requirement to be enforced by the Philippine government starting July of this year. The Bureau of Immigration has released new travel cards for international travellers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
According to the Bureau’s Commissioner, Mr. Jaime Morente, the new travel cards, which have been in circulation since early this month, aim to strengthen the monitoring process of foreigners arriving in the country, as well as the safe departure of Filipinos for other locations around the world.
Furthermore, the BI chief pointed out that the use of the new travel cards will improve the data collection efforts of the agency for alien monitoring and mapping, as well as for gathering necessary information to enhance safety protocols and procedures for Filipinos leaving the country.
BI Rolls out New Travel Cards
The said improvements will significantly enhance border management efforts enforced by the Bureau, shared Commissioner Morente.
Regarding the matter, the BI OIC Deputy Commissioner, Marc Red Mascariñas shared that the new travel cards are currently being distributed to various international airlines all over the country since early this month.
Copies of newly-printed travel cards can now be availed at the immigration arrival and departure areas of all three NAIA terminals, Mr Mascariñas added.
As per the use of the new travel cards, travellers will be required to fill out all their travel-related information on the official document which includes their full name, nationality, passport number, contact number, occupation, flight/voyage number, purpose of trip, port of exit/destination, and their address in the country and abroad. They will also be required to sign a statement of declaration to certify that all the given information in the card is true, correct, and complete.
The use of arrival and departure cards has been a long-standing immigration practice in many parts of the world. This procedure is considered essential in the proper documentation of passengers for border management and data collection for passenger statistics. The BI also explained that the old arrival and departure cards have already been phased out because they do not contain sufficient information regarding travellers entering or leaving the country.