The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday said it has inked a data-sharing agreement (DSA) with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to facilitate information exchange between the two government offices on foreign nationals working in the Philippines.

The DSA, signed by DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma and BI Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco at the DOLE Central Office on Intramuros, will cover information on foreign nationals issued with an Alien Employment Permit (AEP).

“Eventually, the manual verification will be a thing of the past, and the Alien Employment Permit Management System of the DOLE and the BI System through the application programming interface will expand our exchanges of information and will result in streamlining the process of both agencies,” Laguesma said.

“This will also help both our agencies in providing and producing validated reports often requested from us by other government entities,” he added, noting that it will also align the departments’ processes with the ease of doing business.

The data sharing, in conformity with the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001, Series of 2019, or the “Rules and Procedures Governing Foreign Nationals,” was first tackled during a meeting between DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment and the BI in April 2023.

“Sana itong dokumentong pipirmahan magpapatunay at magbibigay-buhay doon sa tinatawag na isang Bagong Pilipinas na kung saan ang ating constituencies, bahagi na riyan ang manggagawa, namumuhunan, at pamilyang Pilipino ay makakakita talaga ng maayos sa serbisyo galing po sa ating dalawang tanggapan (I hope that this document will give life to what is called a New Philippines where our constituencies, the workers, investors, and Filipino families are part of that will really see good service from our two offices),” the Labor chief said.

On the part of BI, Commissioner Tansingco said the DSA will enable them to verify online in real time the validity and authenticity of AEPs shown by foreign nationals seeking employment in the Philippines.

“At the same, we can also share to DOLE kung sino inisyuhan namin ng 9G working visas, provisional work permits, special work permits,” he said.

The commissioner also announced during the signing that the processing of 9G visas will be online starting 1 June this year.