The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is planning to open more offices nationwide to bring its services closer to the public.
“We are bringing our services closer to the general public to facilitate compliance with immigration policies,” Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement on Friday, Jan. 26.
“With these developments, there will be no more excuses not to comply with immigration requirements,” he pointed out.
The new offices are being eyed in Siargao, Pagadian, Sorsogon, Davao del Sur, and other popular tourist destinations, he said.
At the same time, he said the bureau is planning to transfer more of its offices to better locations.
“We are particularly looking at transferring many of our operations to the malls to make things more convenient for the transacting public,” he also said.
“We want to give quality and comfortable public service,” he added.
Last year, the BI transferred many of its operations to malls and other areas that are more accessible to the public.
Tansingco cited that the BI’s offices in Cebu, Surigao, Las Pinas, Olongapo, and Nueva Ecija have been transferred to bigger locations, while the Camiguin Field Office started its operations at the Provincial Capitol Building in Pandan Mambajao.
He said that BI's operations for the ongoing annual physical reporting for foreigners in Metro Manila can now be done at the Robinsons Mall in Manila and the Government Service Express (GSE) Unit of SM Mall of Asia.
Apart from opening new offices, he pointed out that many of BI's services are available online including visa extensions.