PROPOSED P240 IMMIGRATION FEE FOR TRAVELERS STILL UNDER STUDY – PALACE

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday clarified that the proposed PhP240 fee for travelers entering and leaving the country remains under study and has not yet been approved.

According to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, the proposal of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is still being evaluated, and no decision has been made regarding its implementation.

“Sa ngayon po, ito ay proposal pa lamang according to Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. So wala pa po itong anumang desisyon. Huwag po munang mag-alala ang ating mga kababayan dahil mas nauna po silang mag-react, wala pa po ito,” Castro said.

The proposed fee would reportedly help fund the modernization and upgrading of the immigration system to strengthen border security and improve services for travelers.

Castro noted that the objective of having a safer and more modern border control system is important, but emphasized that any measure must be implemented in a transparent, fair, and credible manner.

“Alam naman natin ang layunin nito—ang magkaroon ng mas ligtas at modernong border control system. Ngunit ito po ay nasa stage pa ng pag-aaral kaya wala pa pong stand ang Pangulo dito,” she said.

When asked about concerns over imposing an additional fee on travelers despite the BI’s existing budget allocations, Castro reiterated that the proposal remains under review and it may still be revised, deferred, or not implemented at all.

“Kaya nga po, huwag muna nating pangunahan. Inaaral pa po ito. Puwede pong baguhin, puwedeng hindi ipatupad, puwedeng hindi matuloy. Kaya huwag muna tayong maalarma. It is just a proposal,” Castro said.

The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday also clarified that a proposed fee tied to its border system modernization project is still being reviewed and has not yet been approved.