Immigration cited for improved performance

MANILA, Philippines - Former immigration commissioner Andrea Domingo cited the reforms initiated at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) during graduation rites of 27 new immigration officers earlier this week.

Domingo, now general manager of the Philippine Estates Authority (PEA), said she was impressed by the changes and improvements in the bureau, including its success in cutting red tape and curbing corruption.

“I was impressed by the physical setup,” said Domingo, who was guest of honor during the graduation rites, about the newly renovated BI main office in Intramuros, Manila.

“But I was even more impressed at the operations center where we can monitor the operations of the bureau’s offices throughout the Philippines,” she added.

The BI has risen from the bottom of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission’s list of government agencies and now ranks fifth among 177 government agencies being periodically rated by the commission in terms of fighting corruption.

Also at the graduation rites, BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan warned the new immigration officers that any wrongdoing will not go undetected because monitoring systems are already in place at the airports.    – Rudy Santos