Bureau of Immigration eases rules for Asean delegates

Bureau of Immigration INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is easing its rules for delegates attending the preliminary meetings of the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) summit to be held in the country this year.

BI commissioner Jaime Morente issued a memorandum prescribing guidelines to be followed by immigration officers when processing Asean delegates.

The “less restrictive” formalities extend to the companions of delegates such as their spouses and dependents.

The Philippines is the host and the chair of this year’s Asean summit.

Expected to arrive in the country are heads of state and top leaders  of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Brunei.

Preliminary meetings of the Asean summit are currently being held in various venues in the country.

In particular, the BI is waiving the imposition of the six-month rule on a passport’s validity.

This means any Asean delegate can be admitted even if his passport is valid for less than six months.

The agency also waived the requirement to procure a return or outbound plane ticket. This requirement is normally imposed on foreigners who visit the Philippines for business or pleasure.

Meanwhile, visa-required nationals who have no entry visa or those whose names might appear in the BI’s derogatory list will not be automatically excluded or turned back to their port of origin.

Marc Red Mariñas, acting port operations chief, said the immigration supervisor on duty should conduct secondary inspection on the passenger and seek guidance from his superiors on the next step to take.

In such a situation, the BI commissioner may issue a waiver of exclusion ground, an allow entry order or an order of non-admission for the passenger concerned.

The BI is deploying almost 100 personnel to manage and facilitate the BI’s role in the Philippines’ hosting of the year-long ASEAN summit.

A special task group composed of 95 immigration officers, immigration supervisors and intelligence agents from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other ports, has been formed to ensure that the appropriate immigration formalities and port courtesies are extended to the ASEAN delegates. CBB/rga