THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) hosted a live demonstration of the advance passenger information system (APIS) last June 20, showcasing the United Nations’ goTravel system and the system’s advanced capability to pre-vet incoming and outgoing airline passengers using Advanced Passenger Information (API) data.
As part of an effort to modernize systems for border management, the high-level demonstration was attended by key officials from various government and law enforcement agencies. Among the top government officials present were Undersecretary Bernardo C. Florence, Jr. of the Anti-Terrorism Council – Program Management Center (ATC-PMC), Office of the President; Undersecretary Jose R. Cadiz, Jr. of the Department of Justice, who also oversees the BI; and Director John Roland P. Mabbun from the Office of the Executive Secretary. BI deputy spokesperson Melvin Mabulac spoke at the event.
Also attending the demonstration were representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Quarantine, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Rachelle Ann Lim, representative of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), witnessed the demonstration and reaffirmed the UN’s support for enhancing the Philippines’ border management capacity.
The goTravel system, developed under the UNOCT’s global travel initiative, enables authorities to assess passenger information in real-time, helping prevent the movement of high-risk individuals and strengthening the country’s defenses against terrorism and transnational crime.
