To facilitate transactions at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) offices, various fees and dues may soon be paid through the use of automated teller machine (ATM) card or prepaid card.
The ?cashless payment? is made possible with the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) by the BI officials and the Land Bank of the Philippines on the establishment of point-of-sale (POS) terminals at BI offices.
The POS terminals will honor ATM and debit cards under the Bancnet network and other compatible systems such as Megalink and Expressnet.
BI commissioner Siegfred B. Mison said the MOA with Landbank was formalized in June.
The POS terminals will be set up at the BI offices in Intramuros, Manila and Cebu offices within the next two weeks.
?We have decided that we can take advantage of the available technology and, consequently, the usual exchange of cash and the age old practice of bribery or grease money is eliminated, once and for all,? Mison pointed out.
The BI chief said the ATM payments on site will speed up transactions like foreigners? annual reporting, visa extensions and applications, among others. — PIA
