In July: Immigration bureau collects P31 million

The intensified campaign against fixers at the Bureau of Immigration has brought the agency’s collection to an unprecedented height since 2005 as it posted more than P31 collection million in July.

Assistant Cebu City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro, who is detailed at the Bureau of Immigration, said their fight against outside transactions has bore fruits.

Based on the monthly collection report, the BI posted the highest collection last month since January 2005 at P31,044,844.

The record shows that the agency only has an average collection of between P11 million to P20 million since January 2005 up to June this year.

Castro said as of Thursday, they already have collected a total of P156.1 million. She said they are hopeful to achieve its P250 million target collection for the year before December.

According to Castro, the intensified campaign launched by regional director Reynaldo Almaden against fixers has helped skyrocket their collection.

She said they have also encouraged foreigners not to transact business with the fixers because it will be much cheaper if they transact directly with them.

The BI is also reaching out to foreign students of different universities and colleges and to working foreigners in Central Visayas to ensure that they paying the necessary permits to the government.

Castro said they also encouraged foreigners with expired documents and those who are undocumented to report to the immigration office and obtain the necessary papers.

She assured them that they will not be put in prison, only that they will be made to pay fines. — Fred P. Languido/LPM