BI consolidating list of foreign nationals in PHL

THE BUREAU of Immigration (BI) is preparing a consolidated list of foreign nationals in the Philippines following a directive from the national task force handling the country’s coronavirus response. “This is a major step for the Bureau, as it has always been a challenge in monitoring aliens,” BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said in a press release on Monday, noting that there are other government agencies with an independent authority to issue visas. “There are a lot of other government agencies that issue visas, without the need for registration with the Bureau,” which made it difficult to come up with the total number of foreign nationals in the Philippines, said Mr. Morente. These include the Department of Justice, Board of Investments, Philippine Retirement Authority, and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has ordered these agencies “to provide the BI a list of foreign nationals to whom they issued visas.” Mr. Morente said the IATF mandate would allow the bureau to be the central source of data on foreign nationals issued Philippine visas. The information is currently shared manually, but Mr. Morente said he “hopes that in the future, we will be able to automate data sharing.” The IATF has recently eased restrictions on the entry of foreigners, with most long-term visa holders and relatives of Filipinos allowed to fly in. Exit rules have also been adjusted with the presentation of a travel pass upon departure. Those holding an Emigration Exit Clearance need not present a travel pass “because they are leaving for good,” Mr. Morente added. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago