CAISS to fill gaps, not duplicate existing PH border systems — Securiport CTO

The proposed Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS) project is intended to fill gaps and strengthen existing government border security systems, rather than duplicate them, according to Nate Carpenter, Chief Technology Officer of Securiport LLC.

Speaking in an online interview with reporters on the sidelines of the 21st International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) Symposium in Montreal, Canada, Carpenter said Securiport’s technology is designed to work alongside systems already acquired and operated by the Philippine government.

“This is actually not a duplication at all,” Carpenter said. “We built our system at Securiport to fit into the government’s ecosystem.”

He explained that governments have already invested in various border security technologies and infrastructure. Rather than replacing these systems, Securiport’s platform is intended to add capabilities, integrate information, and provide additional risk-identification tools.

“They do not replace the systems that are there. They enhance the systems that are there,” Carpenter said, describing the approach as a way of maximizing the government’s existing investments.

Beyond an API upgrade

The proposed ₱10.7-billion public-private partnership project goes beyond upgrading the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) Advance Passenger Information (API) system.

A BI officer earlier said the current API system, launched in March 2025, already covers 97.88 percent of international flights nationwide. Under CAISS, however, the system would move from batch API to interactive API while incorporating other data and intelligence capabilities.

API provides authorities with information on travelers expected to arrive, while the proposed CAISS platform is designed to help verify traveler information and support more informed and traceable border decisions.

The project also proposes the integration of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, which may become available four to 48 hours before departure. PNR can contain information such as booking details, payment methods, email addresses, travel history, and seat assignments.

According to the BI officer, API and PNR should not be viewed as separate tools but as components of a broader integrated border-security system.

Integration at the center

A key feature of CAISS is its proposed ability to integrate and cross-reference information from different sources.

The system is expected to support one-to-many biometric matching, allowing facial, fingerprint, and iris data to be checked against historical records. This differs from conventional one-to-one verification, where a passport is primarily matched against the individual presenting it.

The proposed system is also envisioned to eventually cover not only airports but other points of entry, including seaports, land borders, and traditional sea routes in southern Philippines.

Carpenter also pointed to automated border control technologies such as e-gates and electronic kiosks as important components of modern border management.

He said Securiport’s platform can integrate with the BI’s existing e-gates project.

“Our system integrates with e-gates. We are happy if the government has them,” Carpenter said, noting that Securiport has implemented similar integrations for other clients.

His statement came amid questions about the distinction between the BI’s ₱1.347-billion Phase II E-Gates expansion and the separate ₱10.7-billion CAISS project, which also includes automated immigration and biometric technologies.

Security and faster processing

The proposed integration is also expected to support both border security and faster immigration processing.

According to the BI officer, one-to-many biometric matching could help identify discrepancies, such as when a biometric match is associated with a different identity.

By combining API, PNR, biometric information, and other available data, authorities could potentially identify travelers requiring closer scrutiny while allowing lower-risk passengers to proceed through automated facilities more efficiently.

“Long queues happen when you don’t have a targeting center,” the officer said. “With integration, you predetermine who needs scrutiny and who doesn’t—making processing faster and safer.”

BI said CAISS is intended to unify different information streams into a single platform following an unsolicited proposal that underwent a Swiss challenge.

The proposed system includes advanced passenger information capabilities, automated border control with contactless facial recognition, biometric kiosks, criminal-record search engines, and deception-detection tools.

The initiative is aligned with broader international efforts to improve traveler identification, border security, privacy safeguards, and interoperability in line with ICAO standards.

BI is eyeing implementation as early as December or next year, with full modernization targeted within two to three years and a four-year technology refresh cycle over a 20-year period.

The agency said the broader objective is to modernize the country’s immigration system while strengthening border security and improving the speed and efficiency of passenger processing.