ELECTRONIC gates with facial recognition technology will be installed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) within six months to speed up processing and improve passenger experience, San Miguel Corp. president and New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) chair Ramon S. Ang said.
In an interview, Ang said the biometric-based e-gates would come at no cost to the government or the public.
“I think in about six months, we will be able to roll out the biometric and facial recognition, and it’s at no cost to the Philippine government and no additional cost to the public, to the traveling passenger,” Ang said.
He added that they were ready to provide up to 50 e-gates depending on the recommendation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“If they need 30 or 50, we will provide everything—but all of that will be based on the recommendation of the DOTr,” he said.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the government was still finalizing the plan and prioritizing NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 for the initial rollout.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier ordered the installation of more Immigration e-gates at airports to help reduce queues and facilitate faster departures and arrivals.
On Tuesday, the President personally inspected Terminal 3 to assess recent improvements in the country’s main gateway.
“We’re trying to make life easier for them, so they don’t have to keep pulling out different IDs,” Marcos told reporters. “Soon, it will just be their faces. No more need to show a passport.”
Marcos said he visited NAIA to get a firsthand look at current conditions and assess areas that needed further improvement, including Immigration lanes, OFW lounges, and vehicle pick-up bays.
“The best way is to go through it myself,” he said.
