By Jun Ramirez Bureau of Immigration (BI) offices nationwide are prepared to resume full operations as it issued guidelines that its personnel and stakeholders will observe under a “new normal” environment once the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) is lifted. BI Commissioner Jaime Morente (Youtube) BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the new protocols will be implemented at the BI main office and other field offices as soon as the government places Metro Manila and other areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ). “We are adopting these new measures to ensure that our employees and persons who transact business with us are protected against the coronavirus,” Morente said. He said that due to the continuing risk posed by the coronavirus, the bureau’s workers will continue to follow several work schemes and arrangements to achieve social distancing and decongestion in their workplace. BI Deputy Commissioner Aldrin Alegre, head of the agency's COVID-19 Task Force, said that depending on the requirements of their respective offices, division and section chiefs have the option to implement flexible working arrangements for their staff. He said "the bottomline is that the wearing of face masks, sanitation, and social distancing measures are always observed." Among these work schemes are staggered working hours, assignment of skeleton force, four-day workweek, and work-from-home arrangements for employees who are seniors or have underlying medical conditions. Alegre also said that the wearing of face masks is a must for all persons entering the bureau offices and that the number of individuals allowed inside the premises will be limited to a certain number at a particular time to avoid overcrowding. The BI suspended operations in many of its offices two months ago after the government placed Metro Manila and Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.