Traveler missed flight after lengthy BI interview, yearbook requirement
A traveler who had to endure a lengthy interview by Bureau of Immigration personnel who asked her to show a yearbook missed her flight to Israel last December.
The story of freelance writer Cham Tanteras went viral on social media after she failed to catch her flight due to a lengthy interview at the immigration counter.
She was also asked by the immigration officer to present a yearbook.
“Hindi naman ako magdadala ng yearbook while traveling, kahit saan pa (I’m not bringing my yearbook while traveling). Sabi niya (The immigration officer said), ‘if you didn’t bring your yearbook, do you have your graduation photo with you?,’” Tanteras said in Maki Pulido’s “24 Oras” report on Friday.
She was eventually allowed to travel after undergoing a secondary inspection. However, it was too late for her to board the flight.
“We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused the Filipina passenger and other Filipino passengers,” the BI said in a statement in response to Tanteras’ case.
The agency also said it conducted an investigation into Tanteras’ case and reassigned the immigration officer who asked for her yearbook.
Another passenger, Rie, had a similar experience last January.
When the immigration officer found out that she had previously worked in Dubai, she was asked a lot of questions about her experience as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW).
She also underwent a secondary inspection.
“Sobrang haba na ng pila, kasi ang marami ng Pilipino na for the second interview. Sabi ko hala ma’am 10 na, 10:30 po yung boarding ko. ‘Ay pasensiya na may pila tayo pang number 7 ka,’” Rie said.
(The line was already very long because there were many Filipinos for the second interview. I said ma’am it’s already 10; my boarding is at 10:30. The officer said, “I’m sorry we have a queue, and you are number 7.”)
After an hour and a half in the second interview, Rie was permitted to pass through immigration, but she was no longer able to board the aircraft.