Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed his disappointment in the slow process for procuring electronic gates.
Viado addressed news that he allegedly attended a BI procurement meeting last Friday unannounced, where he expressed his exasperation in the slow and seemingly dragging process.
I lead with discipline and urgency. I don’t tolerate complacency—when something needs to change, it must change now. I may be strict, but I get things done,” said Viado. “Kapag may kailangang pagbabago, hindi dapat babagal-bagal,” he added.
Viado explained that upon assuming office last October 2024, he conducted a review of the processes and technologies of the BI and hired technical advisers to ensure the modernization of the agency.
Modernizing the systems of the BI has always been my drive. We are operating on an 85-year-old law, and our technologies are almost outdated,” he lamented.
Viado shared that the project actually started as early as June 2024 during the previous administration, but has encountered numerous delays. “This is a a legacy project that we hope we finalize before our 85th anniversary in September,” said Viado. “We have no time to dilly dally, the budget is in our appropriations for this year. If not finalized, it could be removed from our budget by DBM,” he added.
On February, Viado directed the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) to conduct a market study on the procurement of additional electronic gates to be deployed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other major international airports manned by the BI.
The BI also hired an IT expert and professor, with a doctorate degree in machine computing from London to guide the study.
The terms of reference (TOR) in procuring the e-gates was crafted to upgrade and expand the system by integrating automated biometric identification systems (ABIS),” said Viado. “This has already been approved and is set for posting. However, during the last Bids and Awards meeting, when they were supposed to finalize the approval, a member proposed further revisions that would prolong the process,” said Viado.
He shared that his representative who attended the meeting reported the update, which prompted him to drop by and stress the urgency of the procurement.
Hindi ito project na dapat ipagpabukas pa. Kung gusto natin ng pagbabago at maayos na serbisyo sa mga paliparan, dapat magawa na ito,” he stated.
Viado shared that the proposed change was to include iris scan capabilities to the TOR, something that is both unnecessary and extremely costly. He shared that during the recent ICAO conference in Montreal, Canada, it was reported that most countries do not subscribe to iris scanning during immigration processing because it is too costly and is not sustainable for long-term use.
Even the United States and Canada do not use iris scan for primary immigration inspection,” he stated.
He emphasized that his presence was not to coerce or sway anyone, but to stress the urgency of the issue at hand.
While he acknowledged that disagreements may arise during meetings, he reminded everyone that they share a common goal: the improvement of the system.
He also said that he would engage in discussions with those involved to foster understanding and ensure a harmonious resolution.
