The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Saturday hailed the launching of ePassports by the government, saying the agency is well ready and equipped to process the state-of-the-art document and that its use will make the job of processing international traveler faster and easier.

Immigration Commissioner Nonoy Libanan also said that the introduction of the ePassport will not only further modernize the country’s travel document but also contribute to a more efficient and faster system of travel documentation.

“It will also usher in the expeditious processing of passengers who arrive and exit the country through our airports,’’ Libanan said, as he noted that the ePassport is compatible with the passport reader now in use at the immigration counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other major ports.

“We congratulate the DFA for successfully launching this project. With this, we will be able to further minimize or avoid, if not eliminate, the queues of passengers in the immigration counters of our airports,’’ the BI chief said.

He pointed out that with the ePassport, the current average time of 45 seconds in processing a passenger will be lessened further.

Libanan added that the BI shares the DFA’s pride in the ePassport for the main beneficiaries of the project are the thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who leave the country daily for various jobs destinations abroad.