'Cheapest' in the world? Immigration cites foreign fees in defending P240 border charge

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration defended its proposed P240 border security fee as the "cheapest" compared with charges abroad

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado claimed that countries worldwide have adopted modern border security systems similar to the proposed Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS), with passengers also charged for the service. 

Viado cited the foreign charges during an August 24 House hearing on the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Justice and its attached agencies after Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Egay Erice (Caloocan) questioned the additional cost to travelers.

"Ito pong sistema po na ito, ginagamit na po 'yan worldwide. Hindi lang po natin siguro napapansin pero ang ibang bansa po nilalagay po 'yan na kasama ng gastusin sa mga ticket," Viado said.

("This system is being used worldwide. Perhaps we just do not notice it, but other countries include these charges in the cost of airline tickets.")

CAISS is a proposed P10.74-billion public-private partnership with US-based Securiport LLC that would modernize the BI's border management system through biometrics, passenger information processing, identity screening and risk assessment.

Under the proposal, the private partner would finance the system and recover its investment through user fees charged to travelers entering and departing the Philippines.

The proposed charge is $4, or around P240, each time an international traveler enters or leaves the country, or about P480 for a round trip.

How foreign charges compare

Vlado said Australia charges around P2,600 per passenger, Singapore P2,400, Japan P1,200, Hong Kong P1,500 and Thailand P1,800.

All are higher than the proposed P240 charge, but they are not all fees for the same type of border security service.

The examples he cited range from airport security fees to passenger service charges and departure taxes that are not directly equivalent to the Philippine proposal.

Australia imposes a AUD70 (about P3,157) Passenger Movement Charge on people departing the country, which is collected with the airline ticket.

Singapore's Changi Airport charges departing passengers a S$46.40 (about P2,902) Passenger Service and Security Fee. The charge goes to airport operations, maintenance and infrastructure, rather than immigration processing alone.

Japan, meanwhile, imposes a 3,000-yen (about P1,222) International Tourist Tax on most departing travelers. The tax is separate from airport security charges. At Narita International Airport, for instance, departing international passengers pay a separate 700-yen Passenger Security Service Charge.

Hong Kong International Airport has a HK$65 (about P518) Passenger Security Charge specifically used for airport security facilities and systems. Separately, Hong Kong imposes a HK$200 (about P1,595) Air Passenger Departure Tax.

Thailand's six major Airports of Thailand-operated airports charge international departing passengers 1,120 baht (P2,129) under a Passenger Service Charge that supports airport safety, operations, infrastructure and services.

Erice had questioned Viado's Hong Kong comparison, saying he had not noticed such a charge during his trips there.

"You said Hong Kong is doing this. I've been traveling to Hong Kong for quite some time pero wala akong nakikitang ganon," Erice said.

Viado said such charges may not be obvious because they are incorporated into airline ticket prices.

'Not a tax'

Viado also rejected concerns that the proposed charge would run counter to government efforts to reduce travel costs for overseas Filipino workers, arguing that CAISS would impose a service fee rather than a tax.

"Ito po kasi ay hindi po ito form ng tax. Ito po ay service fee," Viado said. "Hindi po namin pwedeng ipasa sa madlang bayan, taong bayan, sa ordinary taxpayer po ang paggastos po dito. Ang gagastos po dito ay ang mga taong nagta-travel."

("This is not a form of tax. This is a service fee. We cannot pass the cost on to the general public or ordinary taxpayers. The people who travel will bear the cost.")

Viado said employers of OFWs would shoulder the charge as part of travel expenses they are required to cover.

"Ang employers po, under an executive order and under various agreements with other countries, ang sumasagot po niyan ng gastusin po sa pamasahe... Kung sakaling ma-approve-an po ito, 'yung service fee po na ito ay sasagutin ng companies that intend to employ our OFWs," Viado said.

("Employers, under an executive order and various agreements with other countries, shoulder airfare expenses... Should this be approved, the service fee will be shouldered by companies that intend to employ our OFWs.")

Existing overseas employment rules require principals or employers of agency-hired land-based workers to shoulder round-trip airfare, among other recruitment and placement costs.

The CAISS project and its proposed passenger fee remain under government review.