TOUGHER penalties for violators of immigration rules and updated visa rules are among the revisions being pushed by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the proposed modernization of the Philippine Immigration Act (PIA).
BI spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval disclosed in an interview with PTV on Monday that they support the ongoing move in Congress to update existing immigration rules.
“The law is really outdated, truth be told. And there are a lot of provisions in it that are not applicable already in modern times. So we fully support this observation and we also appreciate the revision is already in Congress,” Sandoval said.
She said they hope lawmakers will impose heavier sanctions for “aliens” who violate immigration laws, as well as include measures to prevent the new modus operandi of human traffickers.
BI also wants new visa issuance rules and improved salaries of BI personnel.
“Many parts of the [immigration] law…need to be updated, and this is really an opportunity to modernize the bureau through the passing of this new law,” Sandoval said.
The PIA, also known as Commonwealth Act No. 613, was passed way back in 1940. It has since then undergone several amendments.
Holy week preparations
Meanwhile, Sandoval said they are already making preparations for the surge in the number of passengers during the long weekend as the nation marks Holy Week.
“We are under heightened alert this Holy Week . . . because we consider it a peak season [for travelers],” Sandoval said.
She said they added 155 additional immigration officers to augment their existing manpower during the Holy Week.
“And apart from that, there is another batch of 36 immigration officers who recently finished their course at Philippine immigration Academy. So they will be immediately deployed in our airports, just in time for the Holy Week, to help with our manpower [needs],” Sandoval said.
BI also said it will issue immigration traffic updates in its social media account on possible congestion in their immigration area to serve as guidance for passengers.