Immigration bureau to implement stick-on visa

MANILA, Philippines - Fake immigration stamps will soon be a thing of the past as the Bureau of Immigration announced yesterday its plan to implement a stick-on visa for foreigners arriving in the country.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said in his remarks welcoming newly-installed Justice Secretary Alberto Agra when the latter visited the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila Tuesday. Libanan informed Agra that the implementation of the stick-on visa will lead to an increase in the bureau’s revenues by as much as 10 to 20 percent. More importantly, he said the introduction of the stickers will cripple the activities of members of fraud syndicates who make a living faking immigration stamps on the passports of unsuspecting foreigners.

Ferdinand Arbas, technical staff head of the office of the BI commissioner, said that they would be introducing “stick-on visa” to replace the rubber stamps on passports which are easily imitated by syndicates loitering outside the BI premises.

“These stickers have security features such as barcodes and hologram that would make it more difficult for the syndicates to duplicate and use in their illegal trade,” said Arbas.

Presently, immigration officers at the airports use rubber stamps in indicating the arrival and departure of international travelers on their passports.

Libanan also bared that the bureau has lined up various innovations and reforms to be implemented in the coming days.

The BI chief also sought Agra’s support for the passage of the new Philippine Immigration Act, which is awaiting ratification by both houses of Congress.

For his part, Agra promised to support the programs of the BI even as he lauded the bureau for becoming one of government’s most efficient and service-oriented agencies.

“Like my predecessors, I’m also all praises for the achievements of the BI under Commissioner Libanan. Though my stint as DOJ Secretary will be short, there are still many collaborative undertakings in the DOJ family that we can work on together,” Agra said.

Agra, ex-Solicitor General, replaced former Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera who quit her post recently to run for Congress in her home province of Quezon.