(File photo)
MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday reminded anew foreigners in the country of the March 1 deadline for them to submit their annual report.
This, as the BI said a total of 88,072 registered foreign nationals have so far submitted themselves for their annual report nationwide.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said they project some 50,000 foreigners to submit their annual report this month.
Last year, the bureau recorded a total of 136,065 registered foreigners in the country.
Foreigners holding immigrant and non-immigrant visas who were issued an alien certificate of registration identity card (ACR I-Card) must present themselves to the bureau for the first 60 days of the year for the annual report, in compliance with the Alien Registration Act of 1950.
The BI has outlined specific requirements, including a completely filled-out online registration accessible via the BI’s e-services website. Reporting foreign nationals must also present their original valid ACR I-Card with valid visas, along with a valid passport.
Exempted from physically reporting to the BI are foreign nationals who are below 14 years old, those 60 years old and above, those mentally or physically incapacitated, pregnant women and foreigners with medical conditions.
The BI chief said that apart from transferring annual reporting operations to more accessible locations, they have put up an online portal for virtual reporting to facilitate compliance for foreign nationals.
The physical annual report for the BI’s head office is being conducted at the third level Center Atrium, Robinsons Manila, and at the Government Service Express (GSE) Unit of SM Mall of Asia, from Mondays to Fridays, excluding holidays, between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Virtual annual report for registered foreign nationals present in the Philippines during the annual report period may also be availed using the BI’s e-services platform at http://e-services.immigration.gov.ph.
Crackdown
Meanwhile, the BI’s intelligence operatives recently arrested in Iloilo and Antique provinces 16 illegal Indian nationals for working in the country without permits and for being undocumented aliens.
Tansingco said the Indians were rounded up in a string of arrests conducted by operatives from the BI intelligence division based in Western Visayas last Feb. 22.
He issued mission orders authorizing the BI agents to conduct the operations following reports received by his office about the alleged increasing presence of illegal Indian nationals in Iloilo, and where many residents are allegedly victimized by the aliens’ usurious 5-6 lending racket.
“We are intensifying our crackdown against illegal aliens throughout the country, including those who live in the far-flung areas and make a living by engaging in illegal lending activities that prey on our poor countrymen,” Tansingco said in a separate statement.
BI intelligence officer Jude Hinolan, who led the arresting teams, said 10 of the Indians were apprehended in the towns of Arevalo and Savana, Iloilo while the six others were arrested in San Jose, Antique.
“Our investigation found that all of them were engaged in lending activities without the proper work permits while some of them are suspected of being illegal entrants for failure to present travel documents,” he said.
After their arrest, the 16 illegal aliens were committed to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings. (PNA)
