Wednesday, January 26, 2022

The Annual Report—An Annual Headache

Yesterday, I made my ​yearly trek to the Bureau of Immigration​​​ to file the annual report.​  This is a requirement that all permanent residents in the Philippines must ​put up with.  ​Admittedly, it's not a complicated procedure. You  go to the BI branch of your choice where you submit your passport and I-card at the designated window to the officer who then gives  you a voucher which you then take to the cashier where you make your payment of P310, get your official receipt, and you're done.  But just having to fulfill this obligation is still an inconvenience. ​ 
 
Further, the BInow require​s​ an appointment​ for just about all services and at all its offices.​ No more walk-ins​.  S​o ​I went  there with an appointment number in hand. Yet it turned out that  filers were once again being processed on first come first serve​ basis​. ​ 
 
This kind of switch is irritating because when an appointment the system is in place,  then the departments using it should adhere to it accordingly rather than arbitrarily and without notice switching back to FCFS. Fortunately, I was the first one in the door, so I was finished in short order. And of course getting in and out early meant having the rest of the day to enjoy.
 
Yet in this​ digital ​era​, especially with the COVID pandemic still at large, it's beyond me why the annual report can't just be filed and paid online. Considering the  convenience this would extend to the those who have to go through this hassle, not to mention the time and manpower that it would save for the BI, automation would benefit just about everyone concerned. 

For further information regarding the annual report, including setting appointments with the BI, click here.