The Bureau of Immigration (BI) hired a hundred primary inspectors to be deployed to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other ports this year.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente on Sunday said the new Immigration Officers 1 were recently appointed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra in order to fill up vacancies.

Morente said that the bureau will need more personnel when the country gradually reopens to international travelers in the coming months.

'We thank Secretary Guevarra for these new appointments, we will be more prepared and are assured that sufficient manpower will be available in our ports to address the influx of passengers,' he said.

The bulk of the new inspectors will be deployed to the NAIA.

'We are hoping that our international flight operations will gradually return to normal before the year ends, following the government's aggressive vaccine campaign. As the country begins to reopen its economy, perhaps so, too, will our borders reopen slowly,' Morente said.

He ordered the immediate training of the new immigration officers so they will be ready when international travel operations return to normal.

BI Personnel Chief Grifton Medina said that 94 of the new officers have plantilla positions under the Immigration Regulation Division, while six are under the Port Operations Division.