MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is anticipating sustained passenger traffic in the coming weeks, even as tensions in the Middle East continue to affect global travel routes.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that while the conflict has led to some flight adjustments and airport disruptions, overall travel figures remain strong.
Data from the agency showed that immigration personnel handled a total of 782,344 passengers across all international entry points during the recent peak travel period. This included 391,243 arriving passengers and 391,101 departing travelers between March 29 and April 5.
The figures are nearly on par with last year’s Holy Week numbers, which recorded 371,731 arrivals and 361,361 departures.
For the first quarter of 2026, the BI processed 4.21 million arrivals and 4.52 million departures—higher than the 3.87 million arrivals and 4.19 million departures logged in the same period in 2025.
Viado noted that the steady numbers can be attributed largely to pre-arranged travel plans, as many flights were booked months before the conflict began.
However, he pointed out a noticeable decline in travel to and from Middle Eastern destinations, with passenger volume in those routes dropping by around 80 percent during the first quarter.
ia/xf
