Immigration chief thanks Duterte for salary augmentation

The Bureau of Immigration. INQUIRER FILE

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has thanked President Duterte for allowing the use of the agency’s express lane fees to augment the salary and overtime pay of BI employees.

In a statement, BI commissioner Jaime Morente expressed gratitude to the President “for his sincere concern for the plight of immigration employees.”

“We promise to reciprocate his generosity and support by working doubly hard in the discharge of our mandate as gatekeepers and border control officers of the country,” Morente said.

Earlier, Duterte, in his veto message regarding the 2018 General Appropriations Act, allowed the creation of a trust fund to be sourced from express lane fees.

This is until Congress has enacted a new law to update the BI’s charter and upgrade the pay scale of BI employees.

“The men and women of the BI are very grateful to the President for his kindness in granting their request for salary augmentation until the new immigration bill is passed, which will address the low salary grades of BI personnel,” Morente said.

The low wages of BI employees – ranging from P 9,900 to P 19,600 – came to light after long queues regularly formed at Immigration counters in airports earlier this year.

This was after several immigration employees were forced to go on leave or resign because of unpaid overtime pay, which the BI had been sourcing from express lane fees at airports.

The BI has been unable to utilize the express lane fees after the President vetoed a provision in the 2017 national budget allowing its use to augment the salaries of employees.

The agency has been pushing for a law to update the BI’s charter and upgrade the pay scale of immigration employees.

Morente assured the public of improved service from immigration officers with the recent development.

“We assure the traveling public as well as our clientele and stakeholders that they can expect a more improved and efficient service from our personnel in all our ports and field offices throughout the country,” he added. /cbb