MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has collected an all-time high income of PHP4.75 billion representing fees from its clientele and the transacting public in 2017.
With this, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente reported that the total revenue for last year is 18 percent or PHP894.6 million higher compared to the PHP3.86 billion they earned in 2016.
He noted that the bureau still managed to register record high revenues, despite the unusually frequent declaration of holidays and work suspensions as well as the numerous resignations of BI personnel nationwide last year due to financial difficulties arising from the drastic reduction of their take home pay in 2017.
“This is a tribute to the men and women of the bureau who persevered and opted to remain in their jobs even in the face of financial adversities. They are the unsung heroes of our bureau who deserve our deepest appreciation and gratitude,” the BI chief said in a statement Monday.
At the same time, Morente is optimistic that they will surpass its 2017 record and remit a bigger amount to the national coffers this year as its employees are doubly inspired and motivated to work harder with the restoration of their benefits by President Rodrigo Duterte.
It will be recalled that some BI workers quit their jobs last year due to the drastic reduction of their salaries and their low salary grades.
This happened after the Palace vetoed the use of their express lane collections in paying the overtime services of its regular employees and salaries of its contractual personnel.
However, the President reinstated the same benefit this year stating that he recognizes the hard work and sacrifices of the BI personnel and that their present salary grade is very low and needs to be augmented until a new Immigration law is passed addressing their compensation.
Meanwhile, BI spokesperson Ma. Antonette Mangrobang also attributed the large revenue take to the success of government efforts in aggressively marketing the Philippines as an international tourist destination and the increasing number of multinational companies operating in the country.
“We also became more efficient in our collections system due to the full computerization of our official receipts and order of payment slips issuances and the strict monitoring of our collections in the main office and our sub-port and field offices,” Mangrobang added. (PNA)
