THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday, initiated an inspection of dredging vessels located in reclamation sites in Pasay City.
The inspection, done with the Philippine Coast Guard, was conducted by officers of the BI’s Bay Service Section and Intelligence Division.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco earlier ordered BI personnel to inspect the said vessels, following concerns on their activities in the area.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. earlier ordered the suspension of reclamation activities in Manila Bay. The Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) likewise pledged to conduct community impact assessment to ensure that the reclamation will be implemented within the bounds of the law.
The inspection, said Tansingco, will be conducted to ensure that foreign nationals involved in the project are compliant with immigration laws.
“Apart from the national government being concerned with the project, we also want to do our share by inspecting foreigners on board said vessels to confirm their compliance with immigration laws,” said Tansingco. He stated that foreign nationals that conduct commercial activities in the Philippines are required to secure a work visa or permit.
Tansingco shared that as of Friday, the composite team were able to board and inspect three vessels namely MV Mao Hua with 14 Chinese nationals and eight Filipino crew, MV Liang Long with 17 Chinese nationals and two Filipino crew, and MV Jun Hai 5, with 28 Chinese crew. He stated that the inspections will continue in the next few days to ensure full compliance with immigration laws.
“We will be submitting a comprehensive report of our findings to the Secretary of Justice and will be penalizing any foreign national found to be working without proper documentation,” he stated.
