BI relaxes rules for Asean delegates

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has relaxed its rules for Association of Southeast Asian Nations delegates attending the preliminary meetings in preparation for the ASEAN leaders’ summit in November.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente issued a memorandum directing immigration officers assigned at the airports to conduct “less restrictive” immigration formalities for ASEAN delegates and their companions like their spouses and dependents.

The BI waived the imposition of the six-month rule on passport validity, which means any ASEAN delegate can be admitted even if the latter’s passport is valid for less than six months.

The BI also waived the requirement to procure a return or outbound plane ticket that is normally imposed on foreign tourists who come here for business or pleasure.

For foreign delegates who have no entry visa and those whose names might appear in the BI’s derogatory list, they shall not be automatically excluded or turned back to their port of origin, according to acting port operations chief Marc Red Mariñas.

The immigration supervisor on duty will conduct secondary inspection on the passenger and seek guidance or instruction from superiors on what action to take. 

In these instances, the passenger concerned may, at the option of the BI commissioner, be issued a waiver of exclusion ground, an allow entry order or an order of non-admission.

The Philippines is the chair and host of this year’s ASEAN summit. Prior to the ASEAN leaders’ meeting in November, a series of preliminary meetings will be held in different parts of the country.

The BI earlier mobilized nearly a hundred personnel to manage and facilitate the bureau’s role in the Philippines’ hosting of the year-long ASEAN event.

Morente formed a special task group, composed of 95 immigration officers, immigration supervisors and intelligence agents from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other ports, to ensure that proper immigration formalities and port courtesies are extended to the ASEAN delegates. – With Rainier Allan Ronda