BI to introduce alien ID scheme

Think of it as the ultimate access pass.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is poised to implement a state-of-the-art alien identification and registration system to thwart the entry of terrorists and cripple fraud syndicates that sell counterfeit immigration documents.

Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo said the introduction of the Alien Registration Certificate Card (ARCC) program will establish a nationwide biometrics-based computer system that will allow immigration officers at all of the country’s ports of entry to immediately identify arriving and departing passengers.

This upgrade in the BI’s alien identification program will bolster the the agency’s capability of identifying and apprehending terrorists and foreign criminals, as well as modernize its processing, registration and records function.

Biometrics refers to the use of a person’s physical features and traits to identify people and verify a person’s identity. It provides automatic identification of a person by converting fingerprints, photos and signature samples into digital data and cross-checking this information against a computer database.

Domingo said the biometrics upgrade has already been approved by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and is awaiting similar action by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

Immigration Associate Commissioner Arthel Caronongan said that once the new BI upgrade is in place, foreigners will be issued ACR Smart Cards, which they will present to immigration officers when entering or leaving the country.

Caronongan said the cards will eventually replace the various documents issued by the BI – such as alien certificates of registration (ACRs), immigration certificates of residence (ICRs) and reentry and exit permits – which are easy to fake and are subject to misuse.

Upon arriving at the airport or seaport, a foreigner will insert his or her ACR Smart Card into the designated slot of a card-reader. Stored on this card is all the information that identifies the card-holder: recent photo, fingerprints and signature sample. A camera mounted at the top of the computer screen of the card-reader takes the card-holder’s picture.