In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to modernize airport facilities and improve travel experience for Filipinos and international visitors, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said additional electronic immigration gates (e-gates) will be installed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before the end of the year.

In a Palace press briefing on Friday, DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency will continue efforts to reduce long queues at immigration counters especially during peak travel seasons.

He said the DOTr will sustain and expand on the improvements made since the successful partnership with the Bureau of Immigration during the Holy Week season, that significantly reduced passenger waiting times at NAIA’s international departure area.

“Noong nakipagtulungan po tayo sa Bureau of Immigration bago mag-Holy Week, nakita po talaga natin iyong diperensiya na kaya talaga nating paigsiin ang pila sa NAIA, sa immigration,” Dizon said.

“Magbibigay po ng donation ang San Miguel Corporation at tingin ko po within the year, bago mag-Pasko eh magdadagdag tayo ng e-gates sa NAIA – lalo pang mawawala ang pila sa immigration sa NAIA alinsunod na rin sa utos ng Pangulo,” Dizon also said.

Dizon shared a video taken in NAIA last April 10, showing a notably smoother flow of passengers during the early morning rush hour, which is a typically congested period for international departures.

This proves the government’s capacity to improve travel systems with better coordination and technology, he said.

Dizon said the additional e-gates are scheduled for deployment before Christmas 2025, ensuring smoother immigration clearance ahead of the year-end travel surge.

The e-gates use biometric verification to automate immigration checks, significantly speeding up passenger processing while maintaining border security standards.

E-gates are already in use in many advanced international airports. | PND