The Bureau of Immigration has implemented a scheme that will hasten the process of departing overseas Filipino workers in traveling out of the country.
In a memorandum order, BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina instructed personnel at the airports’ immigration departure areas to ensure that OFWs lining up for immigration processing are given utmost priority.
Medina said he issued the directive in compliance with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente that immigration departure formalities for OFWs be conducted expeditiously and efficiently.
“Our objective is to see to it that our modern-day heroes are given all the care and courtesy that they deserve in sacrificing not only for their families but for the country as well,” Medina said.
He added that Morente approved his recommendation to create a special team of immigration officers who will be tasked to conduct pre-screening of OFWs and attend to the latter’s immigration needs at the airport.
In his memorandum, Medina ordered that designated OFW counters shall only be used exclusively by OFWs.
In case of long lines in OFW counters, members of the Bureau’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit shall speed up the queues by inspecting and ensuring that the passengers’ travel requirements are complete while they are still on the line.
“It’s a matter of deploying more people to focus on OFWs,” said Medina. “It’s a small move, but you’ll be surprised at the impact on easing the lines for them,” he added.
The said memorandum also instructed officers to “expeditiously process the documents of OFWs”. Ordinarilly, a passenger is processed within 45 seconds. Medina sees that the scheme may decrease the processing time up to 33 percent.
Medina said that OFWs referred for secondary inspection due to concerns on their travel documents will likewise be prioritized and the matter resolved within 10 minutes.
He added that OFWs are also given priority at the arrival area, through the installation of 21 e-gates in major airports.
Morente announced that the scheme is part of the series of improvements he plans to implement.
“The year 2019 will be all about process improvement,” he said. “We have studied what can do to provide better service. The e-gates and the pre-screening of OFWs are just the beginning.”