Pasay city: Eighteen more electronic gates (eGates) were installed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, significantly increasing the total number of eGates at the terminal to 30.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Bureau of Immigration announced that these new units, which underwent a dry run on May 5, are now operational. The use of e-Gates is currently restricted to passengers of airlines that meet the Philippine government's Advance Passenger Information (API) requirement. This initial phase allows arriving Filipino passengers from API-compliant airlines and departing Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) traveling with API-compliant airlines to utilize the e-Gates.

The bureau highlighted that compliance with API is crucial for passengers to access the e-Gates, facilitating pre-screening and ensuring faster, more secure immigration clearance. The expansion of e-Gate usage to qualified foreign nationals is planned for the next phase of implementation. Presently, nearly 90 percent of airlines operating in and out of the country meet this technical requirement.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed confidence in the system's efficiency and security improvements through digitalization and innovation. He stated, "The rollout of additional e-Gates is part of our broader effort to modernize processes, not only at NAIA but also across other major international airports nationwide."