THE proposed P10.7 billion Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (Caiss) project will enhance, not duplicate, existing Philippine border security systems, according to the project’s technology officer.
“This is not a duplication at all,” Securiport LLC Chief Technology Officer Nate Carpenter said in an online interview with reporters on the sidelines of the 21st International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Traveler Identification Program (TRIP) Symposium in Montreal, Canada.
He said Securiport’s technology was designed to work within the government’s existing technology ecosystem and add capabilities rather than replace systems already purchased and deployed by the government.
“We built our system at Securiport to fit into the government’s ecosystem,” Carpenter said. “They do not replace the systems that are there. They enhance the systems that are there.”
The distinction comes amid questions over how Caiss differs from existing immigration technologies, including the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) e-gates and Advance Passenger Information (API) system.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that strengthening immigration infrastructure is essential in addressing transnational crimes, human trafficking, terrorism, and other emerging security threats that continue to challenge border authorities.
The Caiss project, he said, is a proposed public-private partnership aimed at enhancing immigration operations through advanced biometric systems, real-time risk assessment, integrated databases, and automated border control technologies.
BI said the current API system, launched in March 2025, already covers 97.88 percent of international flights nationwide, but Caiss would go beyond upgrading the existing API from batch to interactive processing.
API provides authorities with information on passengers expected to arrive, while Caiss is envisioned as an intelligence and integration layer that can combine the API with Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, biometric information and other records to support border decisions.
PNR data, which can become available four to 48 hours before departure, may include booking and travel information such as payment details, email addresses, travel frequency and seat assignments.
Also, the proposed system would support one-to-many biometric matching, allowing facial, fingerprint and iris data to be checked against historical records rather than simply matching one passport to one traveler.
Such integration, the BI said, could help identify discrepancies and flag travelers who require closer scrutiny while allowing low-risk passengers to move more quickly through automated border controls.
Carpenter also said Caiss can integrate with the government’s existing and planned e-gates.
“Our system integrates with e-gates. We are happy if the government has them,” he said, noting that Securiport has integrated its technology with e-gate systems used by other clients.
The clarification comes after questions were raised over the relationship between Caiss and the BI’s separate P1.347-billion Phase II e-gate expansion project.
Caiss is envisioned to eventually cover not only airports but also seaports, land borders and traditional sea routes in the southern Philippines.
The project is intended to combine border security with faster processing by using passenger data, biometrics and automated border controls to focus resources on higher-risk travelers.
