Bureau of Immigration begins APIS pilot testing with Cebu Pacific
Immigration officers man their post at the Naia Terminal 1 (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON)
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) began its pilot testing of the Advanced Passenger System (APIS) with Cebu Pacific airlines, a Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced on Friday.
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“As part of its phased implementation, the BI has begun pilot testing with major airlines, with Cebu Pacific becoming the first carrier to fully integrate its system with the APIS,” Castro said in a briefing.
APIS, a globally-recognized system that enables authorities to screen passengers ahead of their arrival and track and block potential entry of terrorists and fugitives in the country, was launched last Thursday.
Castro said that Philippine Airlines is also set to implement the system.
She added that all airlines in the country will mandatorily implement the APIS “once everything is smooth.”
Castro also shared that the BI “successfully conducted connectivity test with Interpol’s I-24/7 database ensuring access to global security watchlist for enhanced monitoring.”
The APIS was launched after the Philippines and the United Nations (UN) signed a memorandum of agreement to equip the country with the license to fully implement the UN-developed GoTravelAir Software Solution.
READ: Duterte orders advance passenger information system to beef up border control
In 2020, then-President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the mandatory implementation and adoption of the APIS to strengthen border control.
Its full implementation was expected in 2022.
