Immigration adopts new 9-hour workday

AIRPORT DUTY A woman immigration officer welcomes arriving passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. —LYN RILLON

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has adopted a new and shorter work schedule following the discontinuance of the payment of overtime fees of its employees.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said BI employees assigned at the main office and field, extension and satellite offices have started observing the new nine-hour work schedule on Tuesday.

The new work hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5p.m., from the previous hours of 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

​Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the use of the express lane charges collected by the BI to augment the salaries of BI employees and pay the wages of its contractual workers.

​Morente advised the transacting public, including its accredited travel agencies and law offices, to familiarize themselves with the new schedule.

​He also assured that “despite our shortened office hours, we remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver fast and efficient services to the public.”

​Morente, however, said that the BI will continue to implement a “no-noon break” policy for employees manning its frontline services.

“This is to ensure the unhampered and enhanced delivery of services in our offices and smoothen the processing of documents,” he added.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has mandated all government offices to implement the no noon break policy which is also enunciated in the Anti-Red Tape Act. Eiriel Rain H. Dollete/INQUIRER.net trainee