BI improving policy on issuance of work permits

MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday assured Sen. Joel Villanueva that the agency is working with other government agencies to improve the policies on the issuance of special work permits (SWP) to foreign workers. 

Villanueva earlier said he does not support the decision of President Duterte to veto the special provision in the 2019 national budget that gives the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) the sole authority to issue working permits to foreign nationals.

Villanueva said that while he respects the decision of the President, he believed that the Chief Executive was not properly informed by his advisers. 

“We fully respect the views of the good Senator Joel Villanueva, as he has contributed significantly to the improvement of our policies on foreign workers. But this has already been addressed by President Duterte in his veto message last April,” said BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval.

According to the President’s veto message, “the intricacies brought about by the influx of foreign workers and immigrants in the country require collaborative efforts of NGAs (national government agencies) to regulate alien employment. Thus, it is but imperative that the regulation should be a shared responsibility of the BI and DOLE.”

“Following this, we are now part of an inter agency task force on employment of foreign nationals, along with other government agencies that issue permits and visas,” Sandoival said.
She said the BI recently updated the rules on the issuance of special work permits and are currently in talks on improvements on policies on the issuance of work visas.