The Bureau of Immigration on Thursday thanked the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council or including the modernization of the Bureau of Immigration among the Common Legislative Agenda of the 20th Congress.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the inclusion recognizes the urgent need to enact a new law that will modernize the Bureau and replace the 1940 Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
“We thank President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and the LEDAC for recognizing that the Bureau of Immigration can no longer rely on an 86-year-old law to address the realities of modern border management. The world has changed dramatically since 1940, and our immigration laws must keep pace,” Viado said.
He said the Marcos administration’s push for immigration modernization is critical as the Philippines faces increasingly complex challenges involving border security, human trafficking, illegal recruitment, foreign fugitives, transnational crime, and the rapid movement of people across international borders.
“For the Marcos government, modernizing immigration is not simply about updating an old law. It is about building a stronger, more capable and more secure Philippines,” Viado said.
He added: “We need a legal framework that gives our immigration officers the tools, authority and systems necessary to protect our borders while facilitating legitimate travel, tourism, business and migration.”
Viado noted that although the BI has constantly strengthened its operations through technology, inter-agency coordination and intelligence-driven enforcement, comprehensive legislative reform is still needed to provide a stronger legal foundation for these efforts.
“The Marcos government has made border security and public safety a priority, and the Bureau is committed to delivering on that mandate,” he said.
The proposed modernization of the BI is expected to provide a more responsive and comprehensive legal framework for immigration administration, including stronger border security measures, improved enforcement mechanisms, clearer rules and procedures, and greater use of modern technology.
“We are grateful to LEDAC for placing Bureau of Immigration modernization on the legislative agenda. This is an important step toward finally giving the country an immigration law worthy of the Philippines today,” Viado said.