BI claims not having received reports of foreigners’ deaths since last year

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday reminded relatives and acquaintances of foreign nationals to report the death of their relatives here.

The agency issued the reminder after it claimed to have failed to receive any reports on the death of foreigners since the start of the pandemic last year.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement that under the Alien Registration Act of 1950, parents or relatives or persons-in-charge of the burial of a deceased foreigner are required to surrender the latter’s alien certificate of registration identity card (ACR I-Card) to the BI.

He also said it is an “obligation” of relatives or friends of deceased foreigners to report the death to the BI.

Persons-in-charge includes owners or operators of funeral parlors, cryo-regeneration facilities, cemeteries, crypts, and crematoria, according to BI alien registration chief Jose Carlitos Licas.

Licas also said that the BI monitors the arrival and departure of immigrants in the country.

“Our bureau is mandated by law to monitor the arrival, presence, activities, departure, re-entry and even death of aliens, whether they are staying in the country legally or illegally,” he said.

Licas also said that reporting the deaths of foreigners will enable the BI to inform the concerned embassies.

As of January 2021, about 1,222 ACR I-Cards reflecting the deaths of foreigners were canceled, according to BI records. — Liezelle Soriano Roy, Trainee