The Bureau of Immigration’s counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) wants to broaden its International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification to include its services for tourist visa extensions.
BI commissioner Jaime Morente has inked an agreement with the project management team of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) for the conduct of training and seminars for BI personnel in a bid to obtain an expanded ISO certification.
The skills upgrade is part of the agency’s efforts to specifically transition to ISO 9001:2015 from the ISO 9001:2008 certification it acquired in September 2016.
The ISO certification is for the BI’s primary inspection of arriving and departing foreign nationals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
According to Morente, the ISO 9001:2008 certification is proof that the BI’s services at NAIA are commendable and at par with those in other countries.
“Expanding this to include tourist visa extension services ensures that we welcome tourists in the country through quality public service,” he said in a statement.
The ISO is an independent, non-government organization of 162 member countries, and is the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards.
It facilitates world trade by providing more than 20,000 common standards between nations covering everything from manufactured products and technology, food safety, agriculture, and healthcare.
These standards also help safeguard product and service consumers by ensuring that ISO-certified products and services conform to minimum international standards.
BI spokesperson Maria Antonette Mangrobang said all field, satellite, and extension offices now accept and process applications for tourist visa extensions.
“The BI has been very liberal in granting tourist visa extensions in light of the government’s aggressive program to lure more foreign visitors and potential investors into the country,” she added. /kga