DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – Immigrants and non-immigrants in Pangasinan have been told to register with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) office in this city.
Gilbert Lopez, alien control officer, said on Saturday that immigrants and non-immigrants should report to the BI from Jan. 5 to March 1.
Immigrants are Filipinos who acquired new citizenships but chose to stay in the province while non-immigrants include foreign students, missionaries and employees.
“For the first four days of 2015, the bureau registered at least 185 aliens, 50 percent of whom are immigrants,” Lopez said adding that these foreigners pay an annual report fee of P310.
In 2014, the local BI office recorded 1,134 foreigners, 60 percent of which were immigrants.
Lopez said most of immigrants in Pangasinan are former Filipinos who chose to retire and stay in the province while a majority of non-immigrants or foreign students are Sri Lankans, Somalians, Sudanese, Nigerians, Ethiopians, Nepalese and Indians. A few are Chinese elementary students.
Most of the foreign students are enrolled at the Lyceum Northwestern University, University of Luzon and University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City and at the Virgin Milagrosa University in San Carlos City.
Those who fail to report on schedule may still register, provided they pay the corresponding penalties, Lopez said.
The BI also called on all undocumented and overstaying aliens to report to the bureau until September, otherwise they will be apprehended starting Oct. 1.