Bong Go pushes for BI modernization bill anew

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go emphasized the need for modernization in the Bureau of Immigration (BI), citing his filed Senate Bill No. 1185, known as the proposed "Bureau of Immigration Modernization Act."

In an ambush interview on Thursday, 28 December, after aiding fire victims in Davao City, Go acknowledged the challenges of corruption in the bureaucracy.

"Importante po ito, karagdagang personnel at ngayon po ay dapat ma-modernize na… kasama diyan ang karagdagang kompensasyon para maiwasan ang korapsyon," he said.

The senator emphasized the correlation between low salaries, staff shortages, and corruption, advocating for improved wages and additional personnel to mitigate these problems in the bureaucracy.

Go also noted past irregularities involving Immigration personnel, underscoring the urgency of the proposed reforms.

"Kaya importante dito ma-modernize po ang Bureau of Immigration para wala na po silang dahilan na pumasok sa korapsyon at mai-improve pa natin ang sistema ng ating Bureau of Immigration," he remarked.

The senator's vision for the modernization of the BI includes enhancing services for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), who often require guidance and support.

He likewise criticized the exploitation of OFWs and the bureaucratic hurdles they face, emphasizing the need for proper guidance to ensure their safety and well-being.

"'Yung mga nag-aabroad na kulang ng mga papeles, dapat bigyan sila ng maayos at proper guidance para hindi po sila maliligaw. 'Yung iba niloloko po, hinihingan ng pera," Go stated, advocating for a more supportive and transparent immigration process for OFWs.

Under the bill, coterminous positions are created for the Office of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners. New positions will also be created under the Directorate for Planning and Research, and Directorate for Human Resources Management and Development.

The creation of new positions under the bill, according to Go, could boost the productivity and efficiency of the BI.

Under the proposed measure, the Commissioner may also make changes in the composition, distribution, and assignment of field offices, as well as its personnel, based on the demographics of the foreign nationals and as the exigency of the service requires.

The bill also seeks to improve the salary grade, emoluments, and other benefits received by the bureau officials and employees to "properly compensate their hard work and to address the apparent disparity among agencies performing comparable functions," said Go.

If passed into law, the BI Board of Commissioners will be authorized to retain and use every year 30% of its collections from immigration fees, fines and penalties, and other income that may be collected by the bureau for the effective implementation of the measure towards modernization of the agency.

An Immigration Trust Fund will also be created and sourced from the collections.

In his previous pronouncements, Go said that he is also pushing for the measure to address systemic issues, such as corruption in the BI, and other legal loopholes. This, after the "pastillas" bribery scheme in the BI, which allegedly allowed for the entry of foreign nationals into the country in exchange for money, was exposed in 2020.

"Matagal ko nang ipinaglalaban na i-modernize ang mga proseso sa gobyerno upang mas mapabilis ang serbisyo sa tao at matanggal ang korapsyon sa sistema," said Go.