President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the expansion of electronic gates (e-gates) at Philippine airports, aiming to shorten waiting times and ease the travel experience—particularly for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Speaking in the debut episode of his podcast, Marcos emphasized the importance of streamlining airport procedures, noting how simple improvements can make a big impact. “We’re going to increase the number of e-gates. It’s fast,” he said. “It may seem like a small thing, but people really feel the difference. That’s what they’re asking for, so let’s give it to them.”
E-gates, introduced by the Bureau of Immigration to address staffing limitations, allow travelers to scan their passports and complete immigration checks in seconds, bypassing traditional counters.
Beyond expanding the e-gate program, Marcos also criticized the current treatment of OFWs at airports, describing it as burdensome compared to the smoother process often enjoyed by foreign visitors.
“It’s really unfair to our OFWs at the airport,” he said, citing the numerous documents and checkpoints they must go through. “What should happen is this: ‘Oh, you’re an OFW? Okay, go ahead, go ahead, stamp—done.’ That’s how it should be. We’ll get there gradually.”
The President also touted the newly launched e-Gov app, which consolidates government services into a single platform, reducing the need for in-person transactions.
“That’s why the internet is a huge help,” he added. “My dream is for all government services to be done online—from making payments to the government, to receiving payments from the government, to applying for anything—so people won’t have to travel far and go through so much trouble.”
Marcos noted that these improvements are part of his administration’s effort to deliver more efficient public service, especially as the country prepares for the 2025 midterm elections.
