Belmonte: Immigration law has to be updated

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 (Commonwealth Act No. 613) needs to be updated to make it conform with the requirements of national security and economic development, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday.

“The 70-year-old law has gone through several piecemeal amendments and revisions but is still inadequate at meeting the pressing demands of the changing times,” he said.

He said updating the immigration law should be “one of the priorities the incoming Congress should consider.”

“We have to create a more effective immigration enforcement agency and, in the process, strike a balance between protecting the people from undesirable aliens while providing channels to benefit the country in terms of tourism and investment opportunities,” he said.

Belmonte said one of the thrusts of the administration, as laid down by President Aquino, is “to make our country attractive to investors by cutting red tape dramatically and making the government an enabler, not a hindrance to business as this is the means by which we can create more jobs for our people.”

The Speaker envisions the reorganization of the Bureau of Immigration and its conversion into a commission with expanded jurisdiction and streamlined powers and functions to eliminate red tape and enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the bureaucracy.

“We need to introduce major changes to the old systems and procedures of immigration used in the country and make them more responsive to current concerns,” he said.

He proposed the creation of more visa categories for foreign investors.

He said his planned reforms should help create a more friendly business environment conducive to attracting and increasing foreign investments. – With Paolo Romero