BI card raised P130 M since its introduction

The Bureau of Immigration has raised over P130 million since it introduced its Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) I-Card two years ago, according to BI Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr.

The card was introduced to reduce red tape and keep tabs on foreigners in the Philippines.

So far, a total of 101,181 people have already benefited in the agency’s state-of-the-art ACD I-Card program, Fernandez said.

In a statement, Fernandez said that a total of 101,181 people have benefited from the agency’s state-of-the-art ACD I-Card program.

Foreigners staying in the country can use the I-Card as proof of legal residency. It is a tamper-proof document that entitles the holder to multiple entry and exit privileges. It replaced the paper-based ACR previously issued to foreigners.

"We are thus proud to report that our I-Card project was a resounding success not only in terms of income generation but also in our quest to update our record of the actual number of foreigners sojourning in our country," he said in a statement.

Interested applicants for ACD I-Card would have to pay $50.

Just recently, the BI reported a revenue of P1.468 billion from operations last year, aside from ACR I-Card figure.

Fernandez said the bureau surpassed its revenue target of P1.1 billion last year. This is the first time that the bureau posted a 33-percent increase in revenue.

BI finance chief Elvira Presado added this was also the fifth consecutive time that the bureau’s collection went beyond the P1 billion-mark. It made P1.1 billion in 2004; P1.09 billion in 2003; and P1.07 billion in 2002.

"This is the first time that we remitted a very large income to the national coffers and we are proud to have contributed our share towards improving our government’s fiscal position," Fernandez said.