Philippine Immigration

MANILA, Philippines - More foreigners arrived in the Philippines during the month of September amid the financial crunch that continues to rock the world markets, the immigration chief said Thursday.

At the same time, Bureau of Immigration data showed that the number of foreigners arriving from January to end of September this year is higher by eight percent compared to figures during the same period in 2007.

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MANILA, Philippines -- The Bureau of Immigration on Thursday said the number of foreigners who arrived in the country in September was eight percent more than the number in the same month last year.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said 384,948 foreigners entered the country through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other ports of entry last month, compared to the 356,760 in the same period last year.

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MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration said Tuesday that only 67 aliens remain in the agency’s jail in Bicutan, Taguig City.

In a statement sent to media, Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the number of inmates dropped to its lowest as of Sept. 30 owing largely to the bureau’s policy of immediately deporting foreigners arrested for violating Philippine immigration laws.

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MANILA, Philippines -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a German wanted in his country for massive computer fraud that victimized thousands of investors.

BI commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Peter Uwe Muller was arrested Friday by personnel of the bureau’s law enforcement division in his home at Sandico Street, Diamond Subdivision, Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga.

He is detained at the Bicutan immigration jail.

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MANILA, Philippines -- Bureau of Immigration (BI) commissioner Marcelino Libanan relieved on Thursday an officer of the agency at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) for her alleged involvement in Wednesday’s foiled departure of 17 undocumented contract workers to the Middle East.

Libanan issued an order recalling immigration officer Mindaya Ombawa to the BI main office in Intramuros pending investigation of her alleged involvement in facilitating the attempted departure of the workers, all said to be minors bound for Jordan and Syria.

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MANILA, Philippines - Government agents intercepted at least 15 "tourist workers" caught with spurious passports at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 early Wednesday morning.

Radio dzBB's Denver Trinidad reported that the workers included several minors, and had passports that were allegedly tampered or "manufactured."

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MANILA, Philippines -- The Bureau of Immigration has deported a foreigner arrested for alleged swindling in Davao City two years ago, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said.

Masahiro Tashima, 47, and identified as a Japanese national was deported after a two-year-old case against him before the Lapu-Lapu City regional trial court was dismissed, Libanan said.

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MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration has set up what it calls its “last line of defense” against the trafficking of overseas Filipino workers.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, in a statement, said the bureau’s agents stationed at airports and sea ports, who have little or no evidence to detain suspected “tourist-workers,” would instead brief them on the hazards faced by undocumented workers in foreign countries.

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Two Malaysians arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) three months ago have been deported for involvement in human trafficking, the Bureau of Immigration said Monday.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Balagobal Kannataasan, 26, and Harisan Amirtham, 34, were deported last September 11 aboard a Malaysian Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur.

Libanan said the Malaysians were expelled pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI board of commissioners issued against them last August 26.

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MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration is nearing its revenue target for 2008, and is poised to register a new record high income, according to BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.

In a statement released on Saturday, Libanan said that from January to end of August the bureau had already collected P1.43 billion in immigration fees.

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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has opened two new satellite offices outside Metro Manila, making its services more accessible to foreigners living in nearby provinces.

No less than BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan led the inauguration of the new satellite offices in Taytay, Rizal and Sta. Rosa, Laguna, which could provide the same assistance and services offered by the agency’s main office in Intramuros, Manila.

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SATELLITE offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration will be established in key cities nationwide to bring their services more accessible to those living outside Metro Manila.

In Executive Order 748, President Arroyo ordered the creation of regional offices of the department in Bacolod City, Butuan City, Puerto Princesa City, Baguio City, General Santos City, and Cotabato City which will process and issue passports and extend other consular services not just for Filipinos but also foreigners as well.

Regional consular offices will be headed by a ranking officer and will be manned by “home-based personnel and locally-hired employees,” the President said in the executive order.

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MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration now has a satellite office in Taytay town in Rizal province as part of its decentralization program to make its offices accessible to foreigners outside of Metro Manila.

The office, which was inaugurated on Wednesday by Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan and Mayor George Ricardo Gacula, is at the old Taytay Town Hall at the corner of Rizal Avenue and Kadalagahan Street in Barangay Dolores.

"This office is an important milestone in our bureau's history as foreigners living in the province of Rizal need no longer to travel to Manila to have their documents processed," Libanan said.

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MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration is set to deport a convicted British pedophile who is wanted in his country.

Immigration Commissioner Mercelino Libanan identified the suspect as Kriss McCord, who has been convicted by a British magistrate for three counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault nine years ago.

The Immigration commissioner said the suspect will be expelled back to his country pursuant to a summary deportation order the Board of Commissioners issued against him last February.

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Fifteen foreigners had been deported last August as part of the government’s move to decongest the Immigration detention cell in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said among those deported were the nine Vietnamese fishermen who were arrested last year for poaching on Philippine waters.

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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has beefed up the members of its task force assigned to process the thousands of Filipinos who are being deported from Sabah to Mindanao as an offshoot of Malaysia’s ongoing crackdown against undocumented aliens.

BI Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan assigned three more immigration officers to the task force upon recommendation of task force head Jose Carandang, who reported that there are still an estimated 10,000 Filipinos currently awaiting deportation in Sabah. The task force, which now has seven members, was formed by Libanan a month ago at the request of Mayor Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City where the ship carrying the deportees used to arrive.

It was learned that Carandang sought the fielding of more personnel to the task force after the ship MV Danica Joy that previously transports the deportess from Sabah to Zamboanga suspended its operation.

Unlike the MV Danica Joy, the fast craft Weesam Expresss that currently picks the deportees stops first at the port in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi and then in Jolo, Sulu before going to Zamboanga.

Thus, the deportees are now processed by the task force at the Bongao port, the ship’s first destination after leaving Sabah.

Carandang said an average of 400 to 500 Filipinos are being deported from Sabah every week as the ship, which sails twice a week, can carry only a maximum of about 240 passengers.

He disclosed that a little over a thousand deportees were processed by the task force since it was created a month ago.

Carandang said the task force is still months away from completing its job as there are still more than 10,000 undocumented Filipinos presently detained in Sabah as a result of their arrest by Malaysian immigration authorities.

Most of the deportees, he said, had worked as domestic helpers, factory workers or market vendors in Malaysia without the proper documents. (BI News)

MANILA, Philippines – Three Indians have been detained pending summary deportation for molesting a 31-year-old woman in Quezon City last week and for carrying fake immigration papers, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan named the three Indians as Kulvinder Singh, 30; Hardawinder Singh, 26; and Amarjir Singh 21.

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MANILA, Philippines -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested three Indian nationals accused of molesting a 31-year old Filipina.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Kulvinder Singh, 30, Hardawinder Singh, 26, and Amarjir Singh, 21, are undergoing deportation proceedings for being undesirable aliens and using spurious immigration documents.

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At least 100,000 new jobs will be created as a result of the proposed new visa for foreign investors, Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan announced yesterday.

The new visa scheme allows indefinite stay in the country for foreign investors who will employ at least 10 Filipinos in viable and sustainable businesses in the Philippines.

Libanan said the proposed new indefinite stay visa, dubbed the "job-generating visa," will be based on actual jobs created by a foreigner’s investments in the Philippines, instead of on his or her supposed capital deposited in the Philippine banking system.

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MANILA, Philippines—With a proposed new visa for foreign investors, more Filipinos would be able to stay in the country instead of having to go abroad to look for work.

In a consultation with the private sector, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the proposed grant of indefinite stay visas to foreigners who employ Filipinos was “a solution to the continued migration of our countrymen.”

The proposed visa would be given to a foreigner who employs at least 10 Filipinos in a local enterprise.

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THE Bureau of Immigration is pushing for a new visa that will allow foreign investors in specified businesses to stay indefinitely as long as they provide employment for at least 10 Filipinos.

Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the implementing guidelines for the special non-immigrant visa was finalized following a series of public hearings at the bureau’s Manila office attended by different foreign chambers.

“This program is our contribution to the efforts of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to generate more jobs for our countrymen and spur the growth of investments and businesses in our country,” the Immigration chief said.

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An overstaying Japanese tourist is now behind bars and facing deportation after he was arrested by Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives for working in the country without a permit.

Arrested last Wednesday on the strength of a mission order issued by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan was Masaaki Hashimoto, 40, who is presently detained at the Bicutan immigration jail. Libanan said Hashimoto, who was arrested in his workplace at the 7th floor of the Magsaysay Bldg. along Roxas Blvd., Manila, is undergoing deportation proceedings for overstaying and illegally working in the country.

“He violated the conditions of his stay by not extending his tourist visa for more than three years and for engaging in gainful employment without the required work permit and visa,” Libanan said.

The immigration act forbids foreigners from working here without first securing a work permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and a pre-arranged employment visa from the BI.

Libanan said illegally working foreigners prejudices the interest of Filipino workers who are equally qualified for the jobs performed by said foreigners.

BI-law enforcement division acting chief Wilfredo Poquez disclosed that Hashimoto worked as a business development officer for the Atlantic Globe Movers Inc.,

He said the arresting agents caught the Japanese in the act of performing his job while seated at his office desk.

“We also seized several documents proving that he is indeed in the company’s employ as its business development officer,” Poquez added.

A check of the BI’s travel information records also showed that the Hashimoto’s tourist visa expired on July 21, 2005 and he never bothered to extend or update his stay in the country. (BI News)

‘BI detention center not a boarding house for foreigners’—Libanan

A number of foreigners would rather stay in detention in the Philippines than be sent back to their home countries. But the Bureau of Immigration will not allow this, the reason a Belgian national was deported last month, together with 21 others. Lucas Saeran, a Belgian national, has practically made the BI detention center in Bicutan, Taguig City his home, having stayed in the center for the last five years. He was in detention for being an overstaying and undocumented foreigner.

BI Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan ordered the deportation of Saeran and several others who had been in detention for over a year, saying the detention center is no boarding house for foreigners.

Records at the BI jail show that the number of detainees has gone down from a high of 160 when Libanan took office last year to only 72 detainees last month. For bringing down the population in the center, the BI was cited by the Commission on Audit for outstanding use of government resources after a value for money audit.

Even Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has commended Libanan for successfully decongesting the Bicutan jail. “We need more people of your caliber in government who can produce positive results,” Gonzales said in his July 25, 2008 letter congratulating Libanan for a job well done.

BI Chief of Staff, Lawyer Norman Tansingco said the case of Saeran is not unsual, adding that some foreigners would rather want to stay in the center and be with their family in the Philippines.

“Their Filipino family is their only family. Many of them think they have nothing to return to in their home country,” Tansingco said, in citing the reason why these foreign nationals would rather stay in detention, adding that some others though fear returning to their home country as they have pending criminal cases their own country.

Libanan, however, will not allow overstay of foreigners in detention as this results in unreasonable spending by the government, the reason he moved for decongestion of the BI detention center as the cost of keeping detainees was a big drain to the BI budget.

Libanan ordered the BI legal division to expedite the resolution of cases of the foreigners. Aside from Saeran, other illegal foreigners whose cases were given immediate attention were Chinese women suspected of prostitution and fugitives; and American Timothy Leonard Lantz, an alleged pedophile and convicted sex offender in Ohio. (BI News)

AT least 51,000 expatriates have reacquired their Philippine citizenship under the Dual Citizenship Law, which took effect four years ago, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said yesterday.

Libanan, a former congressman who was one of the authors of the law, directed an eight-member task force to expedite the processing of applications.

Task force head Arvin Santos said an applicant needs only to pay a processing fee of P3,000 and his or her application will be processed immediately if all the required documents have been submitted.

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MANILA, Philippines -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has barred an Israeli-American national from entering the country for insulting and harassing staff of the Philippine embassy in Israel.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said 72-year-old Albert Rosenfeld was placed in the bureau’s blacklist on the request of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Assistant Secretary Domingo Lucenario Jr. of the DFA's office of consular affairs said Rosenfeld should be blacklisted for "disturbing the peace and harmony" at the Philippine embassy in Tel Aviv and "besmirching the honor of government officers."

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MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to open new field and extension offices in three places in its bid to make services more accessible to foreigners in the Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.

The BI said that the new extension offices would be put up in Pasay City and in the towns of Taytay, Rizal and Sta.Rosa, Laguna.

BI commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Rizal and Laguna were chosen after the bureau recorded an upsurge of foreigners in the two provinces.

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This was the suggestion of Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan as he called on local government officials to get actively involved in putting to stop this abuse of Filipino women and minors.

Speaking at the Balitaan forum at the Hotel Rambrandt in Quezon City yesterday, Libanan said the modus operandi of human traffickers starts at the barangay where illegal recruiters freely dupe hapless women and children with promises of high paying jobs abroad.
“Human trafficking is a product of illegal recruitment. As a crime, human trafficking is consummated at the point of destination when the victims end up abused or worse, forced to prostitution,” he explained.

According to Libanan syndicates in human trafficking use the right of Filipinos to travel to facilitate their exit from the country. “The right to travel by a Filipino is enshrined in the constitution,” he added.

The BI chief said the character of the crime requires a multi-agency approach in its containment, starting at the point of recruitment.. He said a multi-agency task force led by the Department of Justice is now in place even as the BI has set up systems and technologies that have discouraged human trafficking using the airports.

“But the BI point in the containment of this crime is more at the airports when BI is tipped off or able to profile tourist-workers who are found to be carrying spurious travel papers,” Libanan explained, adding the vigilance at the barangay level should effectively stop the crime.

“The PNP with LGUs should be the first line of the defense. Then the department of Foreign Affairs on the issuance of passports should be second line of defense. The third line of defense is the BI at the ports of exit. Then the last line of defense is the consular office at the place of destination,” Libanan said in describing the check points in the system to prevent abuse of Filipino women and minors abroad.

He said the Philippines is a prime target of human traffickers as source and transit point of their victims because the Philippines is a known labor-sending country.

He said many Filipinos lured by these syndicates end up in prostitution or slavery, and are prone to all sorts of abuse abroad because they don’t have the proper work documents.

Libanan said the BI has a 24/7 hotline to receive reports of violations of immigrations laws aside from providing assistance to the public doing business with the BI. The BI will receive reports even of suspicious illegal recruitment activities especially by foreigners in the country.. BI hotline is 1-800-100-ALIENS or 5236615 and 5243769. BI News

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has forged an agreement with the Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (KCCPI) to facilitate the expeditious processing of visas and other immigration documents of Korean investors and expatriates in the country.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan and KCCPI president Jae Jang signed last Wednesday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to formalize their partnership and cooperation in servicing the immigration requirements of the thousands of Koreans now doing business or are working in the Philippines.

Libanan hailed the agreement as an important milestone as it would encourage Korean businessmen and tourists entering the country to comply with the country’s immigration laws and regulations and pay their fees, thus generating more revenues for the government.

BI statistics showed that last year alone, more than 700,000 Koreans entered the Philippines either as tourists, expatriates, students, and businessmen.

Koreans also account for the biggest number of foreigners who arrived in the country over the last few years.

Libanan said the accord is the BI’s way of reciprocating the millions of dollars in aid and investment that the Korean government and business community have poured into the country.

He also cited Korea’s policy of opening its labor market to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), more than 5,000 of whom are now working there, mostly as domestic helpers and factory workers.

Under the MOA, the BI and KCCPI agreed to form a joint committee that will meet regularly to discuss issues and concerns affecting Koreans in the Philippines.

The BI also agreed to inform the KCCPI about any investigation, arrest and detention of a member of the chamber by the bureau’s operatives and legal officers so that the concerned Korean could be provided with legal assistance.

For its part, the chamber promised to inform and educate its members, including their spouses and dependents, about Philippine immigration laws and latest regulations, memoranda rules and regulations issued by the BI through the conduct of seminars where BI officials would serve as resource persons.

While the KCCPI promised to respect the BI’s mandate as chief enforcer of immigration laws, the bureau will also uphold the rights of the chamber’s members and extend to them due courtesy as legitimate investors in the country, the MOA stated. (BI News)

The United States Embassy’s Office of Regional Affairs recently lauded BI Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan and the rank and file personnel of the Bureau of Immigration for successfully thwarting a terrorist threat targeting the US Embassy and three other embassies earlier this year.

US Embassy Regional Affairs Counselor John “Chris” Wood cited the people behind the BI who “professionally and systematically supported efforts to prevent possible attacks on the US Embassy and other local and foreign domestic targets last February.”

It can be recalled that the BI deported Jordanian Moh’d Amro who allegedly plotted to blow up embassies in the Philippines. Amro was deported based on the testimony of fellow Jordanian Walid Abu Aisheh who alleged that the two of them, along with three other compatriots, conspired in the attempted bombing of the embassies of the U.S., Israel, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Police and army intelligence sources also reported that the Jordanians were also involved in plots to assassinate high-ranking government officials, including President Arroyo.

“We can’t thank BI enough for their support and cooperation in the counterterrorism investigation that threatened the security of the embassy,” said Wood. “The BI has consistently demonstrated its efficiency and dedication in preventing terrorism in the region.”

Libanan, who received the US Embassy’s plaque of appreciation, said that the BI remains one of the government agencies responsible in protecting us from such threats.

“Although our reforms at the BI have become more accommodating towards foreign investors, we will remain vigilant to make sure that no foreign visitors will pose danger to our national security,” he said. (BI News)

MANILA, Philippines - An agreement aimed at expediting the processing of visas and other immigration documents of Koreans has been signed.

The memorandum of agreement (MOA), according to Bureau of Immigration commissioner Marcelino Libanan, was signed by him and the Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (KCCPI) president Jae Jang on Wednesday.

The MOA formalized the groups' partnership and cooperation in servicing the immigration requirements of Koreans now doing business or are working in the Philippines.

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MANILA -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will allow traveling minors with Filipino lineage to enter the Philippines without an accompanying parent.

In a memorandum issued by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, minors can enter the country even if they are not accompanied by their parents but by a grandparent, guardian or relative.

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MANILA, Philippines—Foreign athletes who wish to strut their wares on Philippine soil will now have to hurdle two agencies—the Games and Amusement Board and the Bureau of Immigration.

The BI will only issue a special work permit (SWP) to a foreign athlete if his application for such permit has been endorsed by the GAB, the agency that regulates and supervises all professional competitions in the country.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan and GAB chair Eric Buhain signed on Tuesday the memorandum of agreement that will mean a tougher implementation of the SWP rule.

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MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration has eased its policy on minors with Filipino lineage who enter the Philippines unaccompanied by their parents.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said children “unaccompanied by or not coming to join a parent” are no longer required to seek waivers as long as they arrive with their Filipino grandparents, guardians or relatives.

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THE Bureau of Immigration recently formed the Zamboanga deportation task force to address the growing number of Filipino deportees coming to the city from Sabah, Malaysia.

The creation of the task force was BI Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan’s response to Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat’s calls asking for more immigration officers to process the Filipino deportees. Reports said that on average, 500 exiles are brought to Zamboanga City every week, on board the commercial vessel M/V Danica Joy 2. On Wednesday alone, 269 illegal Filipino immigrants arrived in Barangay Talon-talon.

“Our job here is to assess their travel documents to determine their true citizenship, because they have been claiming that they were staying in Malaysia for a long period of time,” explained BI Bay Service Section Chief and concurrent taskforce head Jose Carandang Jr., who arrived to Zamboanga City on Wednesday.

The agency is yet to verify Malaysia’s regulations regarding citizenship. Carandang added that a Filipino Consul based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is the one in charge in signing the travel documents of the deportees before embarking on a Philippine-bound vessel.

“The number of deportees is dependent on how many documents the Filipino Consul in Malaysia processed,” said the BI top official. “We are hoping that the Consul will be able to process more deportees soon.”

Carandang said the task force was also created to make it more convenient to the Filipino deportees.

“They went through tough times while working in Malaysia, so we want to make it easier for them when they arrive here in the Philippines,” Carandang explained. “Soon, we will increase and strengthen the agency’s manpower, and add more laptops in the immigration offices in Zamboanga to fast track the processing of their travel documents.” (BI News)

Before hitting the hard-court or getting into any sports action in the country, foreign athletes must secure a special work permit (SWP) first from the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

This was stated in the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed last Tuesday by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan and Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman and former SEA Games medalist Eric Buhain.
According to the MOA: “No foreign professional athlete or player shall participate in any form of professional tournaments and sports competition in the country unless and until he or she obtains the required special work permit from the Bureau and professional license from the GAB.”

Through the MOA, Libanan and Buhain will be working together to ensure that all foreign sportsmen who compete or get an athletic employment in the country have necessary work permits from the BI.

In cases where a foreign athlete claims Philippine citizenship, the MOA also stated that he is required to present a certificate of recognition of Philippine citizenship that was duly affirmed by the Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

It was also indicated in the MOA that the BI will only issue an SWP to a foreign athlete if his application for such permit has been endorsed by the GAB, the agency that regulates and supervises all professional sports and games in the country.

The applicant is also required to submit a photocopy of his or her passport with a valid authorized stay, and secure a clearance certificate from the BI as proof that he or she has no derogatory record with the bureau.

Moreover, the applicant, through his promoter, must submit his application for an SWP within 24 hours from his arrival in the country or the next working day if he arrives on a weekend.Manuel Ferdinand Arbas, BI technical staff chief, said all foreign athletes are covered by the MOA, including those who play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Arbas said the MOA will not affect the existing agreement of the BI with the PBA which similarly requires foreign players in the league to first apply for an SWP with the bureau before shooting hoops in the hard-court. (BI News)

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan led the Bureau of Immigration last Wednesday in launching the Mobile Immigration Counters at the Ninoy International Airport (NAIA).

The mobile counters, which are equipped with laptops connected through WiFi, were established by Libanan to process the immigration papers of senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and travelers carrying infants.
“The immigration areas are usually packed with travelers during busy hours, making it burdensome for senior citizens, PWDs, and travelers carrying infants to wait on long queues,” Libanan said. “We set up these mobile counters specifically for them to make traveling more convenient, and at the same time decongest traffic in the Immigration areas.”

Libanan, together with NAIA BI chief of airport operations Ferdie Sampol and BI NAIA Terminal 1 supervisor Teody Pascual, unveiled the mobile counters, which are located at strategic areas and manned by immigration personnel.

“We had our pilot run [on Tuesday], and we already received positive feedbacks from the elderly and the disabled,” said Libanan. “Progressive countries like Japan and the US already have this kind of system, and this will definitely make our immigration processing at par with them.”

Also launched during the event was the BI-NAIA Public Assistance Center (BINPAC), which is aimed to make the clearing process even easier for arriving travelers.

“The BINPAC is in charge of assisting passengers who are in need of special accommodation,” said Sampol. “Aside from senior citizens and PWDs, this service will also be catering to those with immediate domestic connections, VIPs, and dignitaries.”

Sampol added that this will complement the Mobile Immigration Counters to finally resolve the congestion at the Immigration area during peak hours. (BI News)

More than 300 foreigners were barred from entering the country during the first six months of the year as a result of the heightened vigilance and stricter screening of passengers by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Marcelino Libanan said a total of 308 foreigners were excluded from January to June as the bureau continued to tighten its screening and monitoring of foreigners arriving at the country’s premiere port of entry. He said the BI could not simply lower its guard with the volume of foreigner arrivals at the NAIA reaching more than 3 million during the six-month period, up by seven percent over the 2.8 million who came in the same period last year.

Libanan said most of the foreign visitors who were turned back were caught using spurious travel documents, adding that most of passengers were victims of syndicates using Manila as transit point for their human trafficking operations.

“I have already directed that they be placed in our blacklist so that they will not be able to return to our country in the future,” Libanan said, even as he commended immigration officers at the NAIA for a job well done.

The BI chief stressed that it is now difficult for illegal foreigners to slip through the NAIA unmolested as a result of the continous trainining of immigration officers who are now more adept in detecting fraudulent travel documents.

He said the task of screening and profiling foreigners at the NAIA is not only performed by BI personnel at the counters but also by members of the migration compliance and monitoring group (MCMG), a team which double checks the documents of passengers with suspicious profiles.

Libanan also said that a BI anti-fraud unit is in place at the NAIA whose members are capable and trained in the art of detecting bogus and tampered passports and visas.

Statistics from the NAIA immigration office showed that 120 of the excluded passengers were not properly documented while 97 others were profiled as likely to become public charges.

“A foreigner is deemed a public charge if he could not explain his purpose in coming to the country and if he is unable to show proof of his capacity to support his stay in the Philippines,” said NAIA-BI operations chief Ferdinand Sampol.

Also included in the list are 62 blacklisted aliens who were foiled in their attempt to slip back into the country.

There were also 16 passengers who have no entry visas; 10 had no return tickets; and three who have been previously turned back at the airport.

A breakdown of their nationality showed that 45 South Koreans and 43 Chinese topped the list, followed by 22 Japanese, 22 Americans, 21 Taiwanese, 20 Nigerians, 18 Ghanians, 16 Indians, and 12 Liberians. (BI News)

MANILA, Philippines—Foreign athletes need special work permits before they can play in any sports tournaments in the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration and the Games and Amusement Board said Friday.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan and GAB chairman Eric Buhain signed a memorandum of agreement that provides that "no foreign professional athlete or player shall participate in any form of professional tournaments and sports competition in the country unless and until he or she obtains the required special work permit from the bureau and professional license from the GAB."

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...
Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan created the task force in response to Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat’s calls for more immigration officers to process the documents for the Filipino deportees.

Task force head Jose Carandang Jr., concurrent chief of Immigration’s bay service section, said that after the tough times the workers went through in Malaysia, “we want to make it easier for them when they arrive here in the Philippines.”

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MANILA, Philippines - Senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and travelers carrying infants need not to wait on long queues for their immigration papers to be processed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the agency has already set up a mobile counters at the NAIA that would solely entertain senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and travelers carrying infants to facilitate the processing of their traveling documents when leaving the country.

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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said that cellular phones will soon be banned in areas around immigration counters at the country's international airports.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said that the measure is in line with the plan to jam mobile phone signals as a security measure.

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MANILA, Philippines -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) barred more than 300 foreigners from entering the country during the first six months of the year as part of the agency’s campaign against human smuggling.

Immigration commissioner Marcelino Libanan said most of the aliens who were turned back were caught using spurious travel documents and that most of them were victims of syndicates using Manila as a transit point for their human trafficking operations.

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CLARK FREEPORT -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has implemented a tighter screening process following reports of human smuggling at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

With this, the bureau reported that it has already rejected the entry of 37 foreigners with bogus travel documents in the first semester of the year.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said from January to June this year, a total of 37 aliens were rejected entry and sent back home.

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Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan ordered yesterday that there will be no more lunch breaks for officials and employees at the bureau’s main office in Intramuros to further reduce the processing time for the granting of visas and visa extensions.

Libanan said immigration employees will instead take turns between manning the receiving windows and other frontline services and having their lunch to ensure that the bureau’s offices remain open during their noon break from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. The new no-lunch break policy will further speed up the processing time for the processing of visas and visa extensions as well as for other documents issued by the bureau.

Libanan’s reforms at the bureau such as the Visa Issuance Made Simple (VIMS) and the Pre-Arranged Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) programs have expedited the processing of BI documents and cut red tape.

The schemes resulted in shorter and more efficient processing of visas and visa extensions as shown by the feedbacks sent through email by the transacting public and curbed corruption.

The online feedback system through email has recently received commendations from the transacting public who cited the professionalism and efficiency of the bureau’s staff and the reforms that streamlined the processing of documents.

With the new policies in place, the bureau has trimmed down documentary requirements by 43 percent, and reduced the processing time by 82 percent..

It used to be that applications for visa extensions can take 15 to 50 days to finish. Now applications filed in the morning can be approved and released in the afternoon.

The new policy of no lunch breaks is expected to further cut the already shorter processing time at the bureau from less than a day to a mere several hours. (BI News)

Immigration officers at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) barred from entering the country during the first semester 37 foreigners who attempted to slip into the country with bogus travel documents via the former US air base in Clark Field, Pampanga.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said covering from the period of January to June, the 37 aliens were turned back as a result of the increased vigilance of immigration personnel at the DMIA who were alerted over reports that human trafficking syndicates are intending to use Clark as the next transit point for their operations.
The reports had also indicated that illegal recruitment syndicates were trying to use the Clark airport in facilitating the departure of “tourist workers,” or undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) disguised as tourists.

Libanan said he was alarmed by the reports that ordered the immediate deployment of additional personnel to the DMIA and that screening procedures for both arriving and departing passengers be tightened.

Earlier, the BI chief bared that some 864 passengers suspected of being “tourist workers” were barred from leaving Clark from January to May on suspicion of being “tourist workers.”

In his report to Libanan, Romeo Dime, DMIA immigration head supervisor Romeo Dime said most of the excluded foreigners were caught using spurious documents in trying to enter the country.

Dime said most of the passengers arrived from Malaysia and their travel itinerary showed that they intended to proceed to other foreign destinations after a brief stay in the country.

“They were unable to explain their purpose in coming to the Philippines for which reason they were denied entry and booked on the first available flight to their port of origin,” Dime said.

All of them were placed in the BI blacklist of undesirable foreigners and banned from re-entering the Philippines.

Those excluded include seven Indians, six Nigerians, four Bulgarians, three Sri Lankans, three Taiwanese, two Koreans, two Singaporeans, a Sudanese, a Japanese, a Malaysian, a Botswanan, a Liberian, and an Albanian. (BI News)

Immigration officers at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) barred 37 aliens from entering the country during the first semester for attempting to slip into the country with bogus travel documents via the former United States air base in Clark Field, Pampanga.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said covering from the period of January to June, the 37 aliens were turned back as a result of the increased vigilance of immigration personnel at the DMIA who were alerted over reports that human trafficking syndicates are intending to use Clark as the next transit point for their operations.

Continue on Tempo

Philippine immigration laws are vintage 1940s and restrictive in many ways but could be in tune with globalization if an updated immigration bill which he crafted as a former legislator is passed, Immigration chief Marcelino Libanan asserted recently.

Despite the restrictions, which also accounts for the difficulty in smoothly implementing the rules of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the agency has been faring well since he was appointed to the post by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in May last year.

Continue on Manufacturing Business Technology Mag

In an effort to rid the country’s key entry points of drug trafficking incidents, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently signed a memorandum of agreement for an intensified joint monitoring undertaking against suspected drug traffickers using international and local airports as transit points.

Continue on Tempo

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan ordered yesterday that there will be no more lunch break for officials and employees at the bureau’s main office in Intramuros to further reduce the processing time for the granting of visas and visa extensions.

This developed as the Bureau of Immigration’s Visa Issuance Made Simple (VIMS) is reaping plaudits from the transacting public along with its 24/7 nerve center.

Continue on Tempo

MANILA, Philippines - There will be no need for applicants for visas and visa extensions to wait between 12 noon to 1 p.m. to receive accommodation from immigration employees.

This was after the Bureau of Immigration (BI), under the leadership of Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, implemented a “no lunch break” policy for all officials and employees of the bureau.

Libanan said the new policy aims to further reduce the processing time for granting of visas and visa extensions.

Continue on GMA News

Related News:

• No more lunch breaks at the immigration office - Philippine Daily Inquirer

Immigration officers at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) have barred a total of 864 passengers from leaving the country on suspicion of being “tourist workers” or undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) disguised as tourists, it was learned yesterday.

In his report to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, Romeo Dime, BI’s regional director at DMAI, disclosed that most of the OFWs were offloaded for not having the required clearances from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) although their purpose in going abroad is to work.

“Most of them presented bogus documents such as fake letters of invitation or affidavits of support from their alleged friends and relatives in the countries where they intended to go and work,” Dime said.

He added that nearly all of the OFWs were bound for Malaysia and are believed to be victims of illegal recruitment syndicates.

Libanan issued an order to immigration officers at the DMIA to be always vigilant and implement the ban on the departure of undocumented OFWs.

Libanan said was alarmed by reports that the former Clark Air Base was being used by illegal recruiters and human traffickers as the major exit point for their victims.

He also cited reports that some of these illegal recruitment victims end up as prostitutes or become victims of abuse in their countries of destination.

“We shall continue to tighten our watch in DMIA to protect our OFWs, especially our women, from harm’s way,” Libanan said.

Last week, a composite team of policemen and BI operatives led by Vice President Noli de Castro intercepted five women before they could board their flight to Kuala Lumpur.

The women later admitted upon questioning that they were were going to work as domestic helpers in Malaysia and that they are not tourists as they initially claimed.

It was gathered that the operation was carried after informants tipped authorities about the scheduled flight of the women who were allegedly hired by illegal recruiters. (BI News)

The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) has lauded the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for successfully combating corruption, cutting red tape and improving the quality of its services to the public.

In a speech delivered at the 2nd Quarter Integrity Development Action Plan (IDAP) conference held in Malacañang recently, PACG Chair Constancia De Guzman hailed the BI’s success in instituting programs that helped curb corruption and enhanced the integrity of the bureau.
De Guzman thus congratulated BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan for his accomplishments as it was under his stewardship that the bureau landed in seventh place of the PAGC’s top 10 list of most compliant government agencies.

In 2005, the BI was in 76th place or in the fifth bottom of the said list that comprises 81 government agencies.

De Guzman cited the launching BI’s visa-issuance-made-simple (VIMS), Libanan’s flagship project, which reduced the processing time for visa applications at the bureau by an average of 58 percent.

She noted that as a result of the VIMS, person-to-person transactions at the BI were cut by at least 50 percent thereby cutting red tape by the same percentage.

BI Associate Commissioner Roy Almoro, who chairs the bureaus composite committee on good government (CCGG), described how the VIMS was painstakingly introduced for adoption to the BI employees and stakeholders but it yielded positive results in the long run.

Almoro also reported that the BI will soon implement in its regional and field offices the performance management system – office performance evaluation system (PMS-OPES) of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) where the bureau is currently ranked first in the area of enforcement of a code of conduct for its workers and in evaluating their performance.

The PAGC chief included the BI in her assessment of the reports submitted by heads and officials of 80 government agencies who attended the conference held last July 7 at Malacañang’s Mabini Hall.

Aside from the BI, the Department of Science and Technology, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Finance, and National Housing Authority are also in PAGC’s list of 10 most compliant agencies. (BI News)

MORE than 850 passengers at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Pampanga were barred from leaving the country on suspicion of being “tourist workers,” the Bureau of Immigration said on Saturday.

According to a report received by Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, 864 passengers were offloaded for lacking required clearances from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).

Immigration Regional Director Romeo Dime said the offloaded passengers had failed to secure the POEA clearances although their purpose for leaving was to work abroad.

Continue on The Manila Times

In a Value for Money Audit done by the Commission on Audit for the government operations last year, the Bureau of Immigration was cited for the speedy disposition of detainees’ cases resulting in the dramatic decline in the number of detainees at the BI detention center in Bicutan, Taguig City.

In a report to Congress on its audit of operations of all government agencies, the COA cited BI’s success in reducing the number of detainees at the Bicutan detention center as “notable efforts of decongesting the BI Detention Center thru fast and rational resolution of cases.”

“This resulted in the reduction of expenses even as it eased the agony of waiting on the part of detainees,” the COA report added.

“Considering the short period the program was implemented that started in midway of 2007, the bureau accomplished a major task that is worth a commendation,” Reynaldo Villar, COA Chairman, said.

The COA cited the decrease in the number of detained aliens by 76 percent as of December 31, 2007 as proof that the decongestion program of the bureau through disposition of cases was effectively implemented.

The report also said that at the beginning of 2007, a total of 411 detainees were housed inside the facility but 314 cases were acted upon with dispatch.. 97 of these cases were dismissed, 109 foreigners were deported, 44 were placed under recognizance, 61 aliens were allowed to post bail, and 3 were transferred.

“We recommended that the bureau continue its notable efforts of decongesting the BI Detention Center thru fast and rational resolution of pending cases in order to reduce expenses and ease the agony of waiting on the part of the detainees,” COA report added.

Last May 2008, only 96 aliens were in detention at the Bicutan jail. (BI News)

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday reported that it has posted a record income as it breached its billion-peso target for the first six months of the year.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the agency’s revenue has totaled to P1.015 billion from January to June – the first time in history that the agency’s first semester income exceeded the billion-peso mark.

Libanan said the revenue in the first half of the year was P269.7-million or 36-percent more than the targetted P745.7 million for the period, and P204.8-million or 25-percent higher than the P810.4 million earned in the same period last year.

Continue on GMA News

Related News:

• Immigration revenue hit billion peso mark - Sun Star
• BI income tops P1 B mark in first semester - Tempo

On his latest column, "On Target", Ramon Tulfo thanked Commissioner Marcelino Libanan for granting his request to release a Belgian national:

I’d like to thank Immigration Commissioner Marcelo Libanan for ordering the release, upon my request, of Belgian national Lucas Saeren.

Saeren’s Filipino wife, Rowena de la Cruz-Saeren came to us at “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo” asking my intercession for his release from the immigration jail.

Saeren has been in the immigration jail for five years.

His crime?

Overstaying.

Saeren’s release papers are now being processed.

Since he took over as immigration commissioner, Libanan has unclogged the overcrowded immigration jail in Bicutan by releasing foreigner-inmates who didn’t commit major crimes.

He also has looked after the welfare of inmates by giving medicines for the jail clinic and hiring an in-house doctor.

Libanan complains about the uncaring attitude of some embassies in the country that don’t send representatives to the immigration jail to inquire about the condition of their nationals.

(Source: On Target, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines -- Woo the mother and abuse the child.

This is the new modus operandi of pedophiles who have been targeting Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, as their area of operation, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has warned.

“The child molesters usually meet the mothers, sometimes even the grandmothers, of possible victims online and make them their girlfriends,” BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday.

The women usually let the economically better-off foreigners into their lives and their homes, not knowing that the men would later pounce on their young daughters or sons.

Continue on Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- Authorities have arrested a Singaporean man suspected of being a courier for a human trafficking ring at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said R. Murliy, a Singaporean, was apprehended by Bureau of Immigration officers as he was about to board a Canada-bound flight with a Sri Lankan identified as Vignesvaran Saravanan on June 27.

Continue on Philippine Daily Inquirer

Two foreigners have been arrested by immigration authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for alleged human trafficking, the Bureau of Immigration said Saturday.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Singaporean R. Murliy and Sri Lankan Vignesvaran Saravanan have been accosted at the NAIA 2 centennial terminal on June 27 as they were about to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Vancouver.

Continue on ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration has deported a Jordanian national allegedly involved in a plan to bomb the embassies of the US and three other countries in Manila.

In a statement released Thursday, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Moh'd Armo was flown to Bangkok on Monday night where he was transferred to a connecting flight of the Royal Jordanian Airlines bound for Amman.

Continue on GMA News

Related News:

• Terror suspect deported - Sun Star Manila
• Jordanian terrorist idineport ng BI - Philippine Star
• BI deports Jordanian terrorist - BI News
  

27 June 2008

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan unveiled yesterday his development agenda geared towards the nation’s security and creating a pro-investment and tourism climate in the Philippines .

Addressing a luncheon meeting by members of the Consular Corps of the Philippines at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City, Libanan summed up his agenda as a policy direction where “the economy is nurtured, the interest of peace and order secured and the vision for the future is ensured.”

Libanan said that since he assumed the helm of the BI a year ago, it was always his intention to shift the bureau’s role from that with a “hammer and shield” mindset to being a pro-investment catalyst with a global perspective.

The BI chief proudly announced to his audience that he has been successful in instituting postitive reforms in the BI that helped advance his pro-investment and tourism agenda.

Among these programs, he said, was the launching of the visa-issuance-made-simple (VIMS) program where visa processing and issuances in the BI were simplified and fast-tracked for the convenience of the transacting public.

He likewise cited the implementation of the pre-arranged visa-upon-arrival program which not only attracted foreign businessmen and promoted the investment climate but also helped eradicate human smuggling in the country’s ports.

As a result of these twin projects, he said the BI’s income from January to May stood at more than P812 million, up by 31-percent or P191.8-million over the 620.7 million the bureau collected in the same period last year.

Libanan also mentioned the “no touch, no contact” policy now being practiced at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which drew praises from foreign governments and improved the bureau’s image.

“There are many more pro-investment programs to come and we shall see to it that the interest of tourism, trade, commerce, industry are not left out,” he said.

Libanan explained that improvement in the BI’s facilities and services at the airports as he disclosed that all immigration counters at the NAIA are now equipped with passport readers.

He said a national operations center is now in place that records and keeps track of all activities and events at the NAIA on a 24-hour basis.

He added that the bureau has established an electronic linkup with the Interpol and other law enforcement agencies to strengthen its campaign against foreign criminals and fugitives from justice.

Libanan disclosed that serious efforts have been made to professionalize the bureau’s rank and file and eradicate corruption, adding that a total of 24 in-house trainings on various immigration-related programs.

He said these personnel capability-building programs catapulted the BI to the fourth place among 76 other government agencies in the list of anti-corruption champions of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC).

He also reported that last January, the BI was named valedictorian by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) among the agencies that took part in its performance management system and office performance evaluation system project. (BI News)

FROM THE STANDS By Domini M. Torrevillas
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Foreigners coming in and going out of the country reportedly no longer cringe at the mention of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on account of reforms initiated by Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan since his appointment by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in May 2007.

One of the first things Libanan did — in compliance with the President’s order — was to stop the “escort services” at the airports. This was the practice of BI personnel of letting foreigners enter and leave the country without proper documentation. The same escort services were also offered to overseas Filipino workers who did not have work permits and traveling only on tourist visas and ended up being exploited by their employers abroad.

Then there is the visa-upon-arrival program designed to combat human smuggling, support investment and tourism promotions and improve visa fees collection.

By creating a safer and more foreign investor-conducive atmosphere in the country, Libanan’s office said, the bureau is encouraging the inflow of more direct foreign investments.

This visa approval-upon-arrival concept has won the nod of the United Korean Community Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Indian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, for resulting in increased foreign direct investments, more tourist arrivals, and, most important, preventing travelers from being exploited by syndicates.

The Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce, however, has a word for Libanan, which is that his reducing human smuggling in the country is “fueling efforts by syndicates to destroy his (Libanan’s) credibility.” This comes as no surprise since it has become common knowledge that bad guys want to get rid of good guys.

One installation that helped push BI’s new image is the hidden cameras at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which monitor incoming and outgoing passenger traffic, and spot possible anomalous transactions between BI personnel and travelers. Cameras are more truthful than human speculations — unless of course some editing is done on the films, an act that the BI chief would surely have perpetrators punished or dismissed.

Libanan’s pro-investment visa approval upon arrival — a “no-touch, no-contact” policy in dealing with passengers, is to ensure that immigration personnel do not get involved in operations that rightfully belongs to the Bureau of Immigration personnel.

The chief also set forth a “tattoo is art” policy to correct the impression that people who have tattoo marks in their bodies are criminals and so should be refused entry into the country. Commissioner Libanan, in a humane gesture, has argued against the practice, saying that not all people are criminals or have police records as some of them have simply asked to be tattooed for art’s sake or personal reasons.

Libanan thought of rationalizing visa issuance in the country upon his discovery of the big discrepancy between the number of visas issued by foreign service posts and the actual number of tourist visa-holders. He saw that from 2005 to June 2007, visas issued by DFA foreign posts numbered 39,452, while the number of actual arrivals of tourists reached 33,295, or a discrepancy of 4,843. The 4,843 translates to a lot of income for the government in the amount of P43.6 million.

The visa-approval-upon-arrival program will remove the discrepancy in as much as visas are given foreigners as they enter the country and after submitting such requirements like letter-requests from sponsoring organizations, payment of visa fee, and clear photocopy of the bio-page of the applicant’s passport.

Citizens are enjoined to support Libanan in his efforts to cleanse the BI’s once-Augean stables, improve the agency’s image further, and earn revenue for the government. (Philippine Star)

Commissioner Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan of the Bureau of Immigration has made some enemies in his efforts to ease the processing of visa applications in the country but the positive results from his initiative have earned him more friends and backers.

The 45-year-old Libanan reported that immigration fees in the first five months of the year jumped 31 percent to P812.5 million from P620.7 million year-on-year. The bureau’s revenues were also 25 percent higher than its target of P648.3 million for the five-month period and just P659.3 million short of attaining its full-year P1.47-billion goal for 2008. The bureau posted its highest income ever in 2007, when it registered a take of more than P1.69 billion.

Continue on Manila Standard Today

Foreigners entering and staying in the country remitted more than P800 million to the government coffers during the first five months of the year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan disclosed that immigration fees earned by BI from January to May totaled P812.5 million, up by 31-percent or P191.8-million over the 620.7 million the bureau collected in the same period last year.

The income was also P164-million or 25-percent higher than the bureau’s revenue target of P648.3 million for the five-month period.

Libanan noted that the BI is just P659.3-million short of attaining its P1.47 billion target for 2008, adding he is confident that this year will be another banner year for the BI in terms of revenue generation.

The BI posted its highest income ever in 2007 when it registered a take of more than P1.69 billion.

“Chances are very bright that we will not only hit but also exceed our target this year if the present trend in our collections continues,” the BI chief said.

Records showed that of the P812.5 million collected during the five-month period, P573.7 million was earned at the BI main office in Manila while P238.8 million was raised by the different BI field offices and immigration subports in the provinces.

Libanan partly attributed the dramatic rise in revenues to the unabated influx of foreigners into the country and the reforms that he instituted at the BI wherein processing of visa applications have been simplified and expedited.

He said alien arrivals have increased and so are fees that they pay to the government, adding that it is a good sign that more and more foreigners are now complying with the country’s immigration laws.

Libanan promised to vigorously pursue the reform program that he started in the bureau, particularly in re-engineering its systems and procedures and improving and modernizing its services to the transacting public.

He also lauded the rank and file of the bureau for their hard work which contributed to bureau’s impressive collection performance.

Statistics from the immigration office of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) revealed that a total of 1,108,366 foreigners arrived at the premiere port from January to May this year, which is seven-percent higher compared to the 1,032,106 who came in the same period last year.

Early this year, Libanan launched the visa-issuance-made-simple (VIMS) scheme, the BI chief’s flagship project that simplified the requirements and cut the processing time for visa applications at the BI by an average of 58 percent. (BI News)

Source: Bureau of Immigration News

Related News:

• Bureau's revenues surge on increased tourism - GMA News
• BI collects more than P800M for first five months - GMA News
• RP immigration bureau's revenues up by 31% - BusinessWorld via GMA News
• Gov't earns P800M from foreigners' stay in RP - Sun Star Manila

MANILA, Philippines - The government expects more investors and tourists — especially from China and India — visiting the Philippines as it implements a “liberalized" system of granting visas to foreigners.

In a statement released on Monday, Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the agency had put in place the PVUA or the pre-arranged visa upon arrival system wherein visas of foreigners traveling to the Philippines would be processed from their countries of origin.

Continue on GMA News

CHINESE Ambassador to Manila Song Tao commended the Bureau of Immigration over the arrest and deportation of a fugitive wanted for large-scale smuggling of cigarettes and wines in the mainland.

Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the Beijing envoy expressed his appreciation in a letter to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

In his letter dated June 18, Song cited “laudable efforts made for the deportation by the Bureau of Immigration” of Cai Wenxian, who was involved in the “heinous crime of smuggling and long wanted by China’s Anti-Smuggling Authority.”

Continue on Manila Standard Today

MANILA, Philippines - THE Chinese ambassador to the Philippines on Thursday lauded the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for deporting a Chinese fugitive long wanted for drug smuggling in China.

Chinese Ambassador Song Tao in a letter to Executive Eduardo Ermita dated June 18, 2008, cited the Immigration bureau’s “high degree of professionalism” in the deportation of Cai Wenxian back to China.

Continue on GMA News

Professionalism in the delivery of public service by employees of the Bureau of Immigration earned praises from the Chinese Ambassador to Manila.

Chinese Ambassador to Manila Song Tao today cited employees of the Bureau of Immigration for “high degree of professionalism” in handling the deportation of a Chinese fugitive who was at large for several years, until now. In a letter dated June 18, 2008 to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Song cited “laudable efforts made for the deportation by the Bureau of Immigration” of Cai Wenxian, a Chinese national involved in the “heinous crime of smuggling and wanted by China’s Anti-Smuggling Authority.”

In a statement, BI Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan described the Chinese Ambassador’s citation as a terstimonial of the efficiency on and dedication of BI employees to their jobs.

“At the BI a new meaning of dedication to service has started to take roots and this recognition by the Amnbassador Song encourages us the more to be change agents in the BI’s definition of public service,” Libanan said.

Libanan was himself cited by Song as the Chinese ambassador said Libanan “has made notable achievements after his assumption of his post” at the BI.

Song said “the successful deportation further demonstrates the Philippine government’s adherence to justice and its consistent policy that the Philippine soil will never be used as the refuge by foreign fugitives to escape prosecution.”

“I earnestly look forward to the continous cooperation of our two countries in the field of combating transnational crimes including immigration regulation. I am highly convinced that we will make much greater success in future with our unremitting efforts on law enforcement issues,” he added.

Sources inside the BI said the bureau has received numerous citations from other countries and individual foreign visitors for the changes that have made BI friendly to its principal clientelle, foreigners visiting the Philippines.

Massive structural and systems reforms were put in place by Libanan when he assumed leadership of BI leading to processes simplification. “It is now a lot easier to deal with the BI these days,” same sources said, adding that fixers were rendered useless and are now history. (BI News)

Source: Bureau Of Immigration News

06/16/2008

The Philippine Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (PICCI) yesterday lauded Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan for executing sound policies that would not only make the Bureau of Immigration (BI) more efficient but also eliminate corruption within the agency.

This came after several Indian groups expressed support to the proposed law creating a new immigration body because this would pave the way for a more efficient implementation of the country’s immigration policies.

PICCI director general Surjit Singh said since Libanan implemented a liberalized visa policy wherein foreign visitors to the Philippines are given visa-upon-arrival, there has been a marked increase in foreign investments and tourist arrivals.

Continue on The Daily Tribune

Illegal aliens, your days are numbered!

By Ben O. Tesiorna

BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan has ordered an immediate investigation on the escape of a Chinese national from the detention cell of the BI-Davao office.

Libanan said a team of agents under the guidance of lawyer Faizal Hussin, principal assistant for Mindanao, has been dispatched to look into the incident and determine who shall be held liable for the escape of Chalo Sy King.

Continue On Sun Star

By William B. Depasupil, Reporter

THE newly-formed antihuman smuggling panel of the Department of Justice failed to get a convincing answer from the Bureau of Immigration on the huge disparity between the number of entry visas issued and actual arrival of visa holders.

During Wednesday’s first fact-finding probe of the panel, the Immigration Regulation Division’s chief, lawyer Gary Mendoza, explained the discrepancy may have been caused by the incomplete records supplied to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) by the Philippine Embassy in India.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez ordered the probe in response to a letter from Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, after bureau records showed a discrepancy of 4,843 between the number of entry visas issued by the Foreign Affairs department and the actual arrival of visa holders from June 2005 to June 2007.

Continue on The Manila Times

Nanawagan kahapon sa Kongreso si Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan na kaagad aprubahan ang budget na nakalaan para sa pagpapatayo ng gusali ng kagawaran.

Inihayag ni Libanan ang kanyang panawagan kasabay ng pagpapasa­lamat nito sa rank and file employee ng BI dahilan sa umanoy patuloy na suporta ng mga ito sa gitna ng kanyang dinanas na kontrobesiya ng mga nakaraang araw.

Continue On Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has remained a haven for human smugglers because of an obsolete law that fails to curb the illegal entry of foreigners into the country, according to Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Marcelo Libanan.

In a recent interview with radio dzBB, Libanan said the Philippine Immigration Act is too old and inadequate to address the growing incidence of human smuggling in the country.

The law, also known as Commonwealth Act No. 613, was signed by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt on September 3, 1940.

Continue On GMA News

“If they want war, we are ready to go to war.”

Thus, declared Immigration Commissioner Marcelino "Nonoy" Libanan over the weekend as he vowed to further his bureau’s own war a notch higher to rid all entry and exit points of shameful "escort service" syndicates. Also included in Libanan’s campaign are fake visa extension peddlers.

Libanan declared the war on "escort service" after getting solid information from intelligence sources on the identity of the perpetrators on the massive media smear campaign against him.

Continue on Tempo

By YUL MALICSE

DAVAO CITY — Immigration Commissioner Marcelino "Nonoy" C. Libanan has cited the virtues of honesty and professionalism among Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers and employees.

He cited as an example the refusal by an immigration officer assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to receive bribes from an "undesirable alien."

In an "over-a-cup-of-coffee" talk and exchange of pleasantries held recently at the tourist-business and beautifully designed Apo View Hotel here, where he held a successful, enticing concert – "Music from the Heart" – Libanan, a lawyer, a former congressman, and a former elected provincial official of Eastern Samar, described Immigration Officer Michael Dizon as an "example of the new culture of honesty and dedication that has become a measure of efficiency in public service at the bureau."

Continue on Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines -- Foreign chambers and other business organizations have expressed support for the liberalized visa policy of the government being implemented by the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) saying the program will result in increased foreign investments and tourist arrivals and safeguard national sovereignty.

‘‘Most of all, our people are and can no longer be victims of fixers,” the group said in a letter to immigration commissioner Marcelino Libanan on June 4.

Continue on Philippine Daily Inquirer

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan has spelled out the liberal visa rules for foreigners coming in as investors, a move that drew the support of major business groups.

Libanan said that foreign investors and businessmen duly endorsed by the Board of Investments, Philippine Retirement Authority, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, local business councils, or local as well as foreign chambers of commerce and industry may avail themselves of Immigration’s “visa upon arrival” program.

Businessmen hailed the liberalized visa policy, saying that it “will boost foreign investments and tourist arrivals without giving up the national sovereignty.”

Continue on Manila Standard Today

By Gobleth Moulic

BAGUIO CITY – Members of the Indian community here expressed relief after their two-year fight against two immigration intelligence agents, whom they accused of extortion and kidnapping, ended when Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan dismissed the two from government service last week.

Libanan said he dismissed agents Simeon Eleria and Armando Talatala, both based in Manila, on May 21 for grave misconduct following a complaint from Indian businessman Sanjiv Kumar.

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MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration has uncovered an international operation involving the sale of fake Philippine passports in New Zealand with the arrest of a Chinese national posing as a Filipino.

Bureau agents arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Wednesday Yllana Wong, 42, a Chinese national who presented a fake Philippine passport.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan ordered Wong’s detention at the immigration jail in Bicutan while the agency determined his connection to the fake passport syndicate.

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A British pedophile is now behind bars at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for sexually molesting a 12-year-old girl in Pangasinan.

Arrested on the strength of a mission order issued by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan was David Ferguson Gatt, 68, who was picked up by operatives ob the BI law enforcement division at his home in Calasiao, Pangasinan last May 27.

Libanan said Gatt will remain detained at the Bicutan immigration jail indefinitely pending resolution of the criminal complaint that the father of the victim filed against the Briton for violating the anti-child abuse law.

He said the bureau is giving priority to the campaign against pedophiles, saying “we will always exercise our mandate to protect our women and children against foreign sex offenders.”

Libanan added that “although he (Gatt) is an undesirable alien who should be deported, he should first face the criminal charges filed against him,” said Libanan.

It was gathered that the Briton was already an undocumented and overstaying alien at the time of his arrest.

He failed to present his travel documents to the arresting agents but a check of the BI’s travel records showed that he last arrived in the country on August 15, 2001 and that he never bothered to extend his tourist visa since then.

“He will thus undergo deportation proceedings for being an undocumented, overstaying and undesirable alien,” said Atty. Floro Balato Jr., BI spokesman.

Balato added that Gatt will be placed in the BI blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines after he is deported.

Investigation revealed that Gatt was the subject of a complaint filed by a male resident of Calasiao, Pangasinan whose 12-year-old daughter the Briton allegedly molested several times.

The complainant said that while he was working in Manila, his wife entrusted the care of the victim to her grandmother, who is the live-in partner of the Briton.

According to the victim’s affidavit, she was sexually abused and molested by Gatt on many occasions and was made to do indecent acts against her will at the time that she stayed at her grandmother’s house. (BI News)

MANILA, Philippines -- Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan has ordered an investigation into the possible collusion of immigration employees with syndicates that issue fake visa extensions to foreigners.

Libanan issued the directive after immigration officers arrested two Indian nationals who were about to leave the country carrying fake visa extensions and passports.

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MANILA, Philippines -- The government has lost close to P200 million in revenues from 2005 to 2007 due to the illegal entry of Indian nationals, Bureau of Immigration (BI) commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Wednesday.

Libanan said there is a wide discrepancy between the number of visas issued by the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to Indian nationals.

From 2005 to 2007, Immigration records showed 39,452 Indian nationals were given visas but DFA records showed 75,699, or almost double the BI’s number, received visas from 2005 to June of 2007.

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16 June 2008

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan today said Pre-arranged Visa Upon Arrival (PVUA) is one of the strategies put in place by the BI to make it easy for tourists and investors to come to the country explaining that this step is in support to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s order to make the country friendly to foreign investors.

In a media forum at the Ambassador Hotel in Manila, Libanan said the other effect of the PVAU program is it has curbed human smuggling.
“PVUA is one of the BI’s answers to President Arroyo’s policy of liberalizing the entry of tourists and investors from countries like China and India,” Libanan said.

Libanan said that under the PVUA, reputable organizations like foreign chambers of commerce in the Philippines vouch for the good character of visiting foreign nationals.

“The sponsoring organizations would be the ones to be in charge of the visiting foreigners in case that he would have to leave so this process curbs human smuggling instead of providing a loophole for this illegal activity as purported by crime syndicates,” Libanan said.

Libanan said entry visa granted through PVUA are ‘pre-arranged’ from the country of origin of a visiting foreigner, a process which has been in place since 2002 for visiting Chinese nationals.

This allows Philippine authorities to fain information on the characters and profiles of visiting foreigners instead of being in the dark in tracking down foreigners smuggled into the country by human smuggling syndicates, while at the same time facilitating the granting of visas to legitimate investors and tourists.

Foreigners smuggled into the country are prone to monthly extortion by crime syndicates engaged in human smuggling, Libanan said.

BI recently discovered a discrepancy of 4,843 between the number of entry visas issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the actual arrival of visa holders between June 2005 to June 2007. The Discrepancy amounts to an estimate of P43 million in foregone revenues from visa fess for the government.

Libanan said PVUA eliminates human smuggling avtivities, aside from promoting the investment promotions of the Department of Trade and Industry and the tourism programs of the Department of Tourism. (BI News)

MANILA, Philippines -- Immigration officers have been ordered to closely inspect the travel documents of departing Filipino tourists following reports that human traffickers have been using fake return airline tickets to smuggle undocumented workers abroad.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) commissioner Marcelino Libanan has instructed immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports to ensure the return tickets of departing Filipino tourists are genuine before they are allowed to board their flights.

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Three foreign commercial models were fined P30,000 each for working in the country without the proper work permits, the Bureau of Immigration said Monday.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan imposed the fine on the foreigners last Friday hours after the bureau’s operatives arrested them for performing as ramp models in a fashion show held at the SMX convention center of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday deported to China a wanted drug lord who had been slipping in and out of the Philippines by using several aliases.

Retired police official Victor Boco, BI’s technical assistant for intelligence and security, escorted the handcuffed Cai Wen Xian at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for the flight to Xiamen on board China Airlines CZ 378.

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MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration deported on Tuesday a Chinese fugitive wanted for big-time smuggling in China.

Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Cai Wen Xian is wanted by the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Shishi City in China for smuggling large quantities of cigarettes and wine into the China.

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MANILA, Philippines—Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan dismissed as "mere scrap of paper" a memorandum sent by an association of immigration employees accusing him and four others of allowing 15 Indian nationals to enter the Philippines illegally in exchange for P15 million.

Libanan said he expected malicious attacks to be hurled at him following his campaign to weed out corrupt employees of the Bureau of Immigration.

"I will not be surprised that the people who have been hurt by our reforms will take actions against me," he said.

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MANILA, Philippines-The Bureau of Immigration has banned from the country an Egyptian job recruiter allegedly responsible for the deployment of scores of Filipino domestic helpers who later suffered abuse at the hands of their employers.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said he issued an order placing Magdy Rassekh on the bureau's blacklist to prevent him from reentering the Philippines and victimizing more Filipino workers.

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An overstaying Chinese fugitive involved in big time smuggling in China who has been hiding in the country to escape conviction in his home country was deported yesterday upon orders of Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.

According to Libanan, Cai Wen Xian is wanted by the Anti Smuggling Bureau of Shishi City in China for smuggling large quantities of cigarettes and wine worth hundreds of millions of CNY into China. “The Bureau of Immigration will never allow foreign fugitives to make the Philippines their refuge to escape prosecution in their countries,” Libanan said, adding “We will exert and utilize all the resources of the bureau and even tap the help of other law enforcement agencies, if only to catch and deport every foreign fugitive now hiding in the country.”

Cai wen Xian, who is also known as Xu Zhi Long was captured by elements of the Philippine National Police Anti Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force on May 27, 2008 in Paranaque City. His arrest was prompted by the request of the Consular Office of the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China. He was later turned over to the Bureau of Immigration for immediate deportation.

In a special BI Board of Commissioners meeting to expedite the deportation of Cai Wen Xian, BI Commissioner Libanan, Associate Commissioner Roy M. Almoro and Associate Commissioner Enrique B. Galang Jr. ordered Cai Wen Xian’s summary deportation for being an undocumented and overstaying alien and a fugitive from justice.

Libanan subsequently ordered the implementation of a 24-hour watch and tight security on Cai Wen Xian to prevent possible attempt to escape or injure himself to avoid deportation to China. The Chinese fugitive, while at the Bi custody, attempted to swallow a necklace to induce ailment.

According to Chinese authorities, criminal cases of such magnitude in China could be punishable by death or life sentence.

In a letter to Libanan, Police Attache PSUPT Lunjun Liu of the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China stated that Cai Wen Xian holds an illegally acquired passport through theft and was even able to acquire a Philippine driver license under the name of Lin Rongda. (BI News)