Philippine immigration chiefs are playing Scrooge this year, banning airport personnel from giving Christmas greetings and other staff from visiting cafes in a bid to fight corruption.

"We are trying to improve our image because of the negative impression of corruption of the bureau. We are trying to rectify all these things," immigration bureau administration chief Felino Quirante said today.

He said immigration employees at the airport had been forbidden from wishing travellers a "Merry Christmas", as this had been used as a veiled solicitation for gifts or tips.

"We want to avoid any impression that our people are indirectly soliciting any gifts during the Christmas season and that includes money. We have received complaints about that in the past," Mr Quirante said.

He also said a ban had been imposed this week on staff at the bureau's headquarters from going to nearby restaurants and coffee shops to stop them from meeting people there to negotiate under-the-table deals.

"So many of our employee are also 'fixers.' That is why they are conducting business outside the office," Mr Quirante said, referring to people who facilitate immigration papers in exchange for bribes.

"Just recently we terminated one employee who was conducting business in these establishments," he said.

Mr Quirante conceded that such fixers could still go about their illegal business outside office hours, but stressed that they would no longer be able to act so brazenly.

The Philippine immigration bureau has a reputation for corruption with bribes being paid to speed up even the simplest of procedures.

President Benigno Aquino's election in May on an anti-corruption platform, had helped spur a stronger campaign against graft in the bureau, but a lot more work was needed, according to Quirante.

"It is always a big problem in immigration, a continuing concern," he said.