BI thanks PBBM for budget approval

The Bureau of Immigration expresses gratitude to President Marcos and the national government for their approval of the bureau's budget and for considering the augmentation of the salaries of its personnel.

According to the BI, as per the GAA, 11 percent of the BI's income from the collection of the express lane fee will be remitted to the national treasury as general fund income.

The bureau further mentioned that in the same section, any related travel expenses for Filipino passengers who are denied boarding or whose flight is delayed in the absence of a court order will be subtracted from the balance of the special trust fund account.

As part of the GAA, under conditional implementation, President Marcos mentioned that the guidelines should not render nugatory the mandate of the BI to administer and enforce immigration laws, as well as RA No. 11862 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act).

In order to ensure a balance between the protection and convenience of Filipino passengers and the BI's obligation to effectively enforce immigration and related laws, the Commission on Audit (COA), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the BI will issue guidelines outlining the necessary and sufficient standards for the implementation of this Special Provision.

The BI will also be seeking the guidance of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) under the Department of Justice, our mother department, in the crafting of said guidelines.

As an additional check and balance, the Bureau will support the direction of the national government to ensure that laws are effectively applied and that immigration officers respect our core values of professionalism, integrity, and patriotism.