The Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines - again in the critics - started implementing a new queuing system, which is called the "snake-line" or "s-line" for arriving and departing passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in bid to prevent connivance between human smuggling syndicates and unscrupulous BI personnel, as I could learn from officials during my stay in Cebu City some days ago.
BI officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said by changing the line formation, they hope to stop the Filipinos 'tourist workers' from ending up as illegal workers in other countries. As one could also learn from several press releases: in the previous straight line scheme, the passengers are able to choose which immigration counter to queue. Human smugglers usually instruct victims to line up in front of the counter manned by corrupt BI personnel. But by adopting the s-line, the passengers would be distributed in the different counters.
I agree strongly with this and hope and pray, that the initial results are really very encouraging and, that the Immigration officers really will be very cooperative in the implementation of the new system. Not only in Manila - but as well as at all arrival and departure counters of the Philippines at the soonest possible time.
For the sake of my second home, the Republic of the Philippines!
