Bureau's revenues surge on increased tourism

MANILA, Philippines - The agency that issues tourist visas exceeded its collection targets from January to May after more foreigners visited and stayed in the Philippines. In a statement, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said revenues for the first five months surged by more than one-third to P812 million owing to increased tourism. Besides being higher than the P620.7 million collected last year, the figure is also 25 percent more than its fund goal of P648.3 million for the period. Of the said amount, P573.7 million came from the bureau’s main office in Manila while the rest were earned by different field offices and immigration subports in the provinces. A total of 1,108,366 foreigners visited the country from January to May, seven percent more compared to the same period last year, data from the bureau’s office at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) said. “Chances are very bright that we will not only hit but also exceed our target this year if the present trend in our collections continues," Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said in a statement. The immigration chief also lauded the bureau’s rank and file personnel for their hard work and dedication, which contributed to the bureau's impressive collection performance. - GMANews.TV