Benjie Cuaresma

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Wednesday foreigners affected by the airport closure in last Sunday’s eruption of Taal volcano are now exempted from paying overstaying fees.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said many flights were cancelled that day owing to the heavy ash fall from Taal that covered runways and may cause jet engines to malfunction in airspace.

“This was a natural disaster that nobody wanted to experience,” Morente said. 

“Hence to ease the burden of our tourists whose flights were cancelled during the closure, we are waiving the overstaying fee for those affected.”

Meanwhile, Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina clarified the matter that only those or whose flights were cancelled are exempted from paying overstaying fees.

Medina further explained said foreigners are also exempted from the charges if they can present their boarding pass for that day Sunday, outbound ticket dated January 12 or 13, 2020 and a cancelled immigration departure stamp on the same date.

Those with long expired visas are not exempted from penalties. (BENJIE CUARESMA/IAMIGO/Currentph.com)