The Bureau of Immigration earned a record high of P4.75 billion from fees it collected from the transacting public, mostly from foreigners in the country, 18 percent higher compared to 2016.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the bureau’s revenue income was P894.6 million or 18 percent higher than the P3.86 billion the agency earned in 2016.
Morente said the bureau managed to register record high revenues despite the 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.
Morente said he is optimistic that the BI 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.
Scores of BI workers had 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 for the overtime services of its regular employees and salaries of its contractual personnel.
The President, however, reinstated the same benefits this year saying 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.
BI spokesperson lawyer Ma. Antonette Mangrobang attributed the large revenue to the success of the government’s efforts in aggressively marketing the Philippines as an international tourist destination and the increasing number of multinational companies operating in the country.