Close to 32,000 arrivals were processed on Christmas Eve, the Bureau of Immigration reported on Sunday.
In a statement, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said immigration officers assigned at different international airports processed a total of 31,992 arrivals on Dec. 24.
Majority of the international passengers arrived via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), with Terminal 1 welcoming 10,047 passengers.
Arrivals at Terminals 2 and 3 totaled 4,646 and 12,615 passengers, respectively.
Meanwhile, BI reported processing a total of 22,248 departures on Christmas Eve.
Tansingco assured the public that while lines are expected due to the worldwide increase in international travel, passengers are processed expeditiously.
“All counters are fully manned, our egates are being utilized, and we have a special team of officers ready to augment manpower as needed,” he said.
“The implementation of the eTravel system also significantly decreases the paper requirements of arriving passengers,” he added.
Tansingco said they see the increase in travelers as a positive sign that tourism is on the rebound.