(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Immigration posted total revenues amounting to almost P6 billion in 2020.
Bureau chief Jaime Morente said the P5.88 billion total revenue from immigration fees is P5.88 billion was 36.1-percent less compared to the record-high income of P9.3 billion in 2019.
“We anticipated our revenues to decrease due to the pandemic,” Morente said.
According to Morente, “with more foreign nationals going out of the country than going in, we were able to collect less revenue from visa applications.”
He said transactions in the bureau were also suspended for more than two months after the government declared a lockdown in March last year.
Bureau finance chief Judith Ferrera said the bureau was poised to post another record high income in 2020 if the pandemic did not occur.
She said the bureau started the year on a very positive note, with collections in January and February amounting to P1.8 billion.
Revenues, however, dropped to P480 million in March with the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the entire Luzon.
She said that the bureau sources the bulk of its revenues from visa processing and extension fees, fines and penalties, clearance and certification taxes, and immigration tax.
Nonetheless, Morente said he expects its revenue collection efforts to gradually return to normal this year.
He noted the expected arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine and the gradual lifting of international travel restrictions.
The Philippines’ COVID-19 vaccine rollout is expected to start this month.
