The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that the agency is now procuring body-worn cameras for its secondary inspectors.

The BI said that the cameras to be procured are capable of livestreaming, so the Office of the Commissioner can easily monitor all the activities of the BI personnel at the airport.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that they have already initiated the procurement process, and they expect that by the end of this year, they could start the deployment of the cameras.

The BI chief said that body-worn cameras will ensure that their immigration officers are effective and remain accountable for their actions as law enforcers.

He added that it would be easier for them to investigate complaints of misconduct with the use of body cameras. It would also serve as a reminder for their officers to always be professional in the conduct of their duties.

According to the BI, it allocates a total of P16 million from its budget for the purchase of body cameras. Aside from body-worn cameras, the BI is also procuring additional electronic gates (E-gates) in order to replace 50 percent of their manual operations by 2026.

The BI also shared that last month the bureau was studying the procurement of AI technologies as an added layer of security at all international ports of entry and exit of the country.

Upgrading to modern technologies is part of the BI's drive to modernize its operations to be on par with its foreign counterparts.