The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that personnel stationed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other airports nationwide are not allowed to go on leave during the Holy Week.

BI port operations division Atty. Carlos Capulong said in a statement that leave applications from April 7-15 are denied.

“Normally, there is always a rise in the volume of arriving passengers before the Holy Week and increase in number of departing passengers after the Lenten break,” Capulong said.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente maintains that the decision is to prepare for the influx of passengers during the Lenten season.

Since the country reopened its borders to foreign travelers, airport arrivals rose to 13,000 to 15,000 per day.