Bureau of Immigration (BI) commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stood firm before the House of Representatives on August 24, defending the proposed Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS) project as a vital, long-overdue upgrade that will protect Filipinos from terrorists, human traffickers, and transnational criminals—all at zero cost to the government.
The proposed ₱10.7-billion public-private partnership with U.S.-based Securiport LLC promises to transform the country’s antiquated border control system into a world-class, intelligence-driven security network that Viado said is urgently needed to address evolving threats.
Current system no longer enough
“We need a more integrative program covering a border security platform with biometrics, advanced analytics, and passenger information systems to enhance national security and immigration control,” Viado told lawmakers during the House budget hearing.
He painted a sobering picture of terrorists and criminals using increasingly sophisticated methods to enter the country, exploit Filipinos, and evade detection. The current system—reliant on manual checks and outdated databases—can no longer keep up.
“At the moment, there is no particular program which can be funded by the national government at this level,” he said, stressing that the government lacks the ₱10.7 billion needed for such a massive overhaul.
At no cost to the government
Viado repeatedly emphasized that CAISS is a win-win arrangement. Securiport will shoulder the entire ₱10.7-billion capitalization, maintain and upgrade the system every four years over a 20-year period, and train BI personnel—all at no expense to taxpayers.
“Ang private proponent proposes to put a capitalization in the amount of ₱10.74 billion for the next five years, and with a constant upgrade of the system every four years for the next 20-year period—at no cost to the government,” he said.
He said the ₱240 one-way service fee (₱480 round trip) is not a tax and is significantly lower than similar fees in other countries. Australia charges about ₱2,600; Singapore ₱2,400; Japan ₱1,200; Thailand ₱1,800; and Hong Kong ₱1,500.
“Compared to other countries, this is way below. This is actually the practice in other countries already,” Viado told Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila De Lima and Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice.
“The U.S., Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan have been doing this at costs which are much higher than what we are proposing.”
Protecting OFWs, not burdening them
One of the most contentious issues raised during the hearing was the project’s impact on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). De Lima and Erice argued the fee would add to their financial burden.
Viado clarified that OFWs will not pay the fee.
“Ang gastusin pagdating sa ticket, hindi po sinasagot po ‘yan ng OFWs. Sagot po ‘yan ng mga employers nila,” he said.
He cited Section 53 of the Revised POEA Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Land-Based Overseas Filipino Workers of 2016 (Governing Board Resolution No. 07-16), which states that recruitment and placement costs are borne by the employer.
“So, hindi OFWs natin ang sasagot—ito po ‘yung mga kumpanyang kukuha sa kanila ang magbabayad,” he said.
Under the rules, employers shoulder visa fees, work and residence permits, round-trip airfare, transportation to the jobsite, POEA processing fees, OWWA membership, and other required assessments.
Viado said this distinction is crucial because the fee is borne by foreign employers, not Filipino workers.
He also acknowledged concerns about the ₱240 charge amid efforts to reduce travel taxes.
“Ito po kasi ay hindi po form ng tax, Your Honor. Ito po ay service fee,” he emphasized.
“Meaning, 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.”
A system that saves lives
Viado said CAISS combines multiple technologies into a single border security platform, including advanced biometrics, real-time deception detection, Interpol integration, AI-assisted open-source intelligence, and pre-arrival passenger screening.
“When you say, advanced analytics, kahit po ‘yung behavior ng isang tao… any nervous tick, any facial contortion po can be read by the system to determine kung high risk po siya,” he told the committee.
He said the goal is to “expand the borders” by identifying high-risk passengers before they even board flights to the Philippines.
He added that the system can analyze ticket purchases and passenger reference numbers in real time, allowing immigration officers to receive alerts before a passenger arrives.
Viado said airlines would also benefit because passengers flagged before boarding would no longer need to be flown back after being denied entry.
The system is intended to help immigration officers combat human trafficking, smuggling, drug and weapons trafficking, terrorism, money laundering, tax evasion, and organized crime.
‘We retain full control’
When Erice questioned data privacy and sovereignty, Viado assured lawmakers that the Philippine government would retain full control over all immigration data.
“Sovereign function at control po dito sa datos po na ito is retained by the Philippine government,” he said.
“They only provide the tools and teach our people how to operate those. But ultimately, ang control po ay nasa atin. They will not have control over the data.”
He said BI personnel—not foreign technicians or AI systems—will make all final decisions on passenger admissibility.
Not a business but a partnership
De Lima and Erice questioned the proposed 95-5 revenue-sharing arrangement, arguing it turns immigration services into a business.
Viado disagreed, saying the setup is a revenue-sharing partnership between the government and the private proponent.
He said the government’s 5% share will fund BI modernization projects and be remitted to the National Treasury.
He also clarified that the projected ₱192 billion over 20 years represents the cost of building, operating, maintaining, and continuously upgrading the system—not profit.
Current system’s limitations
Viado acknowledged that the BI’s existing capabilities remain limited.
He said the agency’s e-gates project is only a partial solution and is separate from the proposed CAISS platform.
“Magkaibang program po yung E-gates project… The CAISS project is more holistic because it does not only pertain to the e-gates, but also to our integration with the systems of Interpol, kasama rin po yung biometrics,” he said.
He said CAISS would allow access to billions of facial images, behavioral screening tools, Interpol databases covering 194 member countries, and publicly available online information.
Without modernization, Viado warned, the BI will continue relying on outdated systems vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated criminal methods.
‘We have been transparent’
Viado also addressed concerns about the procurement process, saying the proposal underwent a Swiss Challenge but attracted no competing bidders.
“We sent out notices. Pero walang dumating. Wala pong nag-challenge,” he said.
He said the proposal has been under review for two years by the PPP Center, Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Finance, and Office of the Solicitor General. The DOJ has completed its review, while the remaining agencies are finalizing theirs.
“No contract has been signed—it is still under review,” he said.
During the hearing, Viado also committed to providing lawmakers with the proposed contract, terms of reference, Securiport’s proposal, and related bidding documents before the plenary budget session.
“We will provide all the necessary documents to you. Galing po sa PPP, DOJ, Bureau of Immigration. Lahat po yan, ipo-provide po namin sa inyo as requested,” he said, saying the documents will allow lawmakers and the public to scrutinize the proposal before the budget is finalized.
Stay updated—follow Philippines Today on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe on YouTube for more stories.