The Bureau of Immigration shall sign the PACC’s Anti-Corruption Manifesto today, according to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.
“The last five years have been replete with challenges in this area, to which we have responded with vigor and vigilance,” he said.
Morente said among the actions of BI to fight corruption are:
- Improving the system to enhance and institutionalize professionalism, with an ISO 9001: 2015 Certification for our frontline services at the airports and our tourist visa extension at the main office.
- Creation of a 24/7 feedback channel through Immigration Helpline in 2016.
- Streamlining of frontline processes in compliance with the Ease of Doing Business Law; eliminating red tape by reducing the number of process steps and signatories and by modernizing our systems.
- To maintain checks and balances at the airport, control of airport units was decentralized and transferred to the Intelligence Division in 2019.
- Activation of the E-Gate System, a man-less counter used in processing arriving Filipino passengers, also in 2019.
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BI signs PACC’s Anti-Corruption Manifesto
- Initiation of contactless transactions to eliminate corruption as well as ensure social distancing.
- More stringent and enhanced counterintelligence efforts against corruption have resulted in the relief of 175 immigration officers as our quick and swift action following reports of illegal activities.
“We have made every effort to perform our duties as frontliners in border protection, while beefing up our systems as well as upgrading the skills and capabilities of our personnel,” he said.
“In the last year and a half, the pandemic has given us more opportunities to implement measures that not only ensure the proper safety and health protocols but also result in tighter anti-corruption controls. These improvements have been proven effective, as seen in the most recent audit of the ARTA on the BI, wherein no major adverse findings have been reported,” the BI chief added.
Morente said the signing of this manifesto is a symbol of BI’s continuous commitment to finally cleanse the Bureau of the evils of corruption.
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