Asean immigration chiefs to tackle reforms in 3-day gab

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration will showcase the reforms initiated by Commissioner Marcelino Libanan during the 13th Asean Directors-General of Immigration Department and Heads of Consular Division of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and 5th Asean Immigration Intelligence Forum on Nov. 16 to 18.

“The conference will give us the golden opportunity to showcase the reforms we have initiated in the bureau like the adoption of new methods and strategies in fighting transnational crimes, the job-generating visa, and other mea-sures aimed to strengthen our border security,” Libanan said. With BI leading the way, the Philippines will host the three-day event which will be held at the New World Hotel in Makati City.

Libanan, together with Associate Commissioners Enrique Galang and Roy Almoro, will lead immigration officials and employees in welcoming their counterparts from 10 member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations who will be in Manila to discuss regional cooperation and information sharing on various issues. Libanan said among such issues are border management, anti-terrorism, campaign against transnational crimes, tourism development, emergency assistance programs during regional disasters, and exchange of information on immigration matters.

This will be the second time -– the first time was in 2000 — that the Philippines is hosting the annual event. Last year’s meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Expected to attend the meeting are immigration chiefs, immigration intelligence chiefs, and consuls from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Brunei. Lawyer Floro Balato Jr., spokesman of the annual meet, said delegates from the Asean members, officials from Asian countries and the Australian immigration and citizenship office will be in Manila to attend the affair. – Rudy Santos