The Bureau of Immigration (BI) addressed a viral social media post on a female passenger allegedly required ten (10) birth certificates by an immigration officer.
According to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, while they have yet to receive the full report and investigation, initial information shows that the unnamed passenger’s travel was deferred for having multiple red flags.
The traveler, who initially attempted to depart late last month, claimed she is traveling to Taiwan to visit a distant relative. However, the immigration officer noted that during the assessment, there was mention of a possible work in Taiwan. Said traveler also was unable to establish her relationship with her sponsor, and had numerous inconsistencies when asked about basic details about said sponsor.
Her personal capacity to sustain herself during the 14-day trip was likewise not established. Hence, Tansingco said that the traveler was reminded to secure proper working documents.
Tansingco also added that following the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) guidelines on departure formalities, departing passengers whose purpose, and capacity is not fully established may be sponsored by a relative within the fourth civil degree.
“Travelers need not worry as long as they have the appropriate documents that match their actual purpose of travel,” said Tansingco. “So many travelers are coming in and out of the country with no issues. Only those with conflicting documentation are subjected to further inspection,” he added.
Tansingco nevertheless said that he would order an investigation on the incident to ensure that officers are able to communicate decisions properly to passengers.
Immigration exec cited for successful eTravel system
An executive of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has been awarded a plaque of recognition by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for eTravel system.
Jose Dennis Javier, BI Technical Assistant for Border Control Operations and Chairperson of the eTravel Sub-Technical Working Group, was cited during the dissemination forum for the 2022 Philippine Tourism Industry Performance and Tourism Satellite Accounts held last July 5 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Javier presented the eTravel, which is a joint project of several government agencies, in the said event. The eTravel was launched earlier this year, and serves as the single data collection platform for arriving and departing passengers. It establishes an integrated border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis.
It is a joint project of the agency with the DOT, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC).
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