Number of int’l travelers drop by 95% since start of quarantine

The sharp drop was attributed to several factors, the suspension of international flights by different airlines and the imposition of travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. (PNA file photo)

MANILA – The number of international travelers who departed and arrived in the country in the last three months since the implementation of community quarantine measures dropped by at least 95 percent compared to the same period last year.

In a news release, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, said passenger arrival from March 16 to June 30 decreased by more than 96 percent while departure declined by 95 percent as compared to the same period last year.

The sharp drop was attributed to several factors, the suspension of international flights by different airlines and the imposition of travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“We do not foresee these statistics to rise in the near future while the entire world is still fighting to defeat this coronavirus,” Morente said.

Metro Manila was initially under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) but was later placed under general community quarantine (GCQ).

On the other hand, BI National Operations Center (BINOC) acting chief Melvin Mabulac reported that only 189,000 travelers arrived from March 16 to June 30 which is far from to the more than 5.16 million passengers who arrived in the same period a year ago.

He added that only 238,000 travelers left the country during the period compared to the 5.18 million who departed in that time last year.

Mabulac said the bulk of passengers arrived and departed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) since all the other international ports were closed during the lockdown.

He added that it was only in June that the government allowed international flights to resume at the Clark and Mactan airports.

“Also included in these figures are the more than 16,000 seafarers who disembarked after being quarantined aboard their vessels anchored at the Manila Bay,” he added.