Immigration bureau posts higher income

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration 7 generated more revenues in 2010 compared to year 2009.

      BI 7 Alien Control Officer Casimiro Madarang III, in his accomplishment Report for the year 2010 addressed to BI officer-in-charge Atty. Ronaldo Ledesma, stated that their annual income for 2010 reached P409,743,141.60. Their 2009 income was only P331,342,306.72.

Madarang stated that under his leadership, he established a system and instituted reforms that resulted in the increase in revenues.

He said the reforms likewise lifted the morale of the personnel, which led to a “complete makeover” of the bureau’s image in Cebu and Central Visayas.

He said that transactions and visa processing time by BI-Cebu is now down by an average of 82 percent with new “Visa Issuance Made Simple” (VIMS) program. This has gained wide recognition from business chambers and foreign community for efficiency and faster service delivery.

Under the VIMS, processes at the bureau - from simple visa extension, application for study and work permit, to change in status -were already computerized.

He further reported that with the successful launching of the Special Visa for Employment Generation in Cebu, this is also expected to raise revenues and generate more than a thousand jobs for Filipinos in Cebu and in the region. —(FREEMAN)