BI waives overstaying fees for aliens affected by Taal eruption

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is waiving overstaying fees for aliens affected by the airport closure due to the Taal volcano eruption.

Numerous flights were canceled starting Sunday evening due to heavy ash fall blanketing the airspace and runway.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente stated that tourists whose flights were canceled are exempted from paying overstaying fees.

Port Operations Chief Grifton Medina clarified that the fine exemption is limited to those who overstayed because their scheduled flights were canceled during the two-day closure of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

To be exempted, aliens must present a boarding pass within the affected period, an outbound ticket dated January 12 or 13, 2020, or a canceled immigration departure stamp bearing the same date.

However, those with expired visas are not exempt from penalties.