The Bureau of Immigration (BI) defended its proposed P240 border security service fee, saying it would be among the cheapest charges of its kind compared with fees imposed in other countries.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the proposed Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS) would modernize border management through biometrics, passenger information processing, identity screening, and risk assessment.
The P10.74-billion public-private partnership with US-based Securiport LLC would recover costs through a $4 fee each time an international traveler enters or leaves the Philippines, or about P480 for a round trip.
Viado stressed that the charge would be a service fee, not a tax, and said employers of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) would shoulder the fee as part of their travel expenses if the proposal is approved.
The CAISS project and proposed fee remain under government review amid questions from lawmakers about whether the foreign charges cited by the BI are directly comparable to the proposed Philippine border security fee.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 9, 2026
