Unaccompanied Foreign Minors Entering Rp

[Mr Lee]

I would not have a problem with any child protection law or law to insure RP laws are followed, but it seems this one is just another way to part people with some of their money. What do you think? The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has implemented stricter rules governing the entry of foreign minors who are not accompanied by their parents into the country.   BI officer-in-charge (OIC) Ronaldo Ledesma issued last week a memorandum order prescribing new rules regarding the issuance of waivers of exclusion to unaccompanied foreign minors entering the Philippines. Under the amended rules, an unaccompanied foreign minor shall be allowed entry only after the minor’s guardian or representative pays a waiver fee of P3,120 to the BI cashier at the port of entry. :thumbs-up-smile:  Immigration officers are also required to retain for safekeeping the minor’s passport as well as a copy of the child’s plane ticket and arrival card to enable the BI to closely and effectively monitor the arrival and departure of foreign minors who are on limited stay here as temporary visitors or tourists.Link to the complete story

[Jake]

I would not have a problem with any child protection law or law to insure RP laws are followed, but it seems this one is just another way to part people with some of their money. What do you think? The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has implemented stricter rules governing the entry of foreign minors who are not accompanied by their parents into the country. BI officer-in-charge (OIC) Ronaldo Ledesma issued last week a memorandum order prescribing new rules regarding the issuance of waivers of exclusion to unaccompanied foreign minors entering the Philippines. Under the amended rules, an unaccompanied foreign minor shall be allowed entry only after the minor’s guardian or representative pays a waiver fee of P3,120 to the BI cashier at the port of entry. :thumbs-up-smile: Immigration officers are also required to retain for safekeeping the minor’s passport as well as a copy of the child’s plane ticket and arrival card to enable the BI to closely and effectively monitor the arrival and departure of foreign minors who are on limited stay here as temporary visitors or tourists.Link to the complete story

My understanding of the news article was targeting certain group of minors and their parents who may have in the past, have abused the immigration laws. The reports further alleged that many of these foreign minors, mostly Koreans enrolled in English language centers, enter the country by availing themselves of waivers of exclusion for unaccompanied minors provided under the Philippine Immigration Act.“By requiring them to deposit their passports for safekeeping with us, we are discouraging these minors and their guardians from circumventing our immigration laws,” said lawyer Arvin Santos, BI airport operations division chief.Although, paying a waiver fee is just another way of the commissioner of immigration to send his own children to exclusive universities like Cambridge or Harvard.Respectfully -- Jake