The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has opened its bay service one-stop-shop (OSS) to serve boarding formalities for both departing and arriving Filipino and foreign seafarers at the Port of Manila.
The Port of Manila is the premier and largest international shipping gateway to the country.
The new office, located at Pier 15, South Harbor, Manila will serve as a 24/7 outpost for on-duty boarding officers for arriving and departing vessels at the port of Manila.
According to BI Bay Service Section (BSS) chief Alnazib Decampong, the OSS was one of his priority projects, aimed at improving the conduct of boarding formalities of BI officers.
“It is high time that we modernize immigration services at the ports. This project will provide accessible, swift, and safe crew change services for signing on and signing off seafarers, as well as provide immigration services to our stakeholders in Manila,” he said.
It may be recalled that in 2020, the government established crew change hubs and opened the country’s borders to international vessels, to facilitate crew change operations essential for the unhampered flow of supply chains across the globe.
The country, being the world’s largest supplier of seafarers, opened a green lane for crew change for seamen to allow vessels to refurbish their manpower speedily and safely.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente lauded the efforts of the BSS in improving its facilities.
“We have pushed for the improvement of immigration services nationwide by providing facilities that would allow easier processing, in accordance with the ease of doing business law,” said Morente.
“This project is our contribution in improving seaport operations, which is vital in reinvigorating the country’s economy,” Morente said.
