Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Chief Operating Officer / General Manager Pocholo Paragas formally signed the agreement with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), represented by BI Commissioner Jaime Morente and Division Chief for Port Operations Mr. Mark Red Mariñas, for the upgrading and enhancement of the design of Arrival/Departure (A/D) Cards on December 5, 2017 at the Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City.

TIEZA is the principal agency responsible for the timely collection of travel taxes while BI is the bureau responsible for the administration and enforcement of immigration, citizenship, and alien admission and registration laws in the Philippines.

This partnership between TIEZA and BI would help both agencies fulfill their respective mandates. Through the use of the A/D Cards, TIEZA can ensure the payment of travel taxes and BI can oversee the movement of foreign nationals and Filipino citizens entering and exiting the country. In line with the government’s thrust to attract tourists and promote Philippine tourism, the A/D Cards will also be utilized as a promotional tool by featuring images of TIEZA projects and tourist destinations in the country.

In the Memorandum of Agreement, TIEZA shall design and print the A/D cards; while BI shall take care of the storage and dissemination of the A/D Cards and shall share with TIEZA information pertaining to travel taxes obtained from the A/D Cards.

In Photo: COO/GM Pocholo Paragas and ACOO for Administration and Finance Atty. Joy Bulauitan
with Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente
and Division Chief for Port Operations Mr. Mark Red Mariñas.