The Senate ratified on Saturday the proposed Philippine Immigration Act of 2009, one of the last actions made by the Senate as Congress adjourned sine die last Friday night.

Under the new Immigration Act, the immigration chairman and his two associate commissioners would act as transition officials of the planned Commission on Immigration (CoI) for only one year, not for three years.

Proponents have stressed that a new Immigration Act for the country is long overdue, since the present Immigration Law is already antiquated and is no longer attuned to the needs of the times. “The bill calls for the institution of policies and procedures that make it easier for foreigners to visit or do business in the Philippines,” Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said.

Libanan also cited provisions in the bill that strengthen the government’s ability to thwart the entry of undesirable aliens, including foreign terrorists, fugitives, drug traffickers, and human traffickers.

The new law also aims to streamline and strengthen the governmental structures charged with the administration and enforcement of immigration, asylum and related laws, rules and regulations to make them adaptive to the growing immigration demands of the country.

It also aims to professionalize the immigration service by instituting a rigid system of screening and selection of immigration officials and employees.

Under the provision en titled “Presidential Prerogatives,” the President may: 1. Deny the entry and admission into the Philippines of any foreign national or a class of foreign nationals whenever the President finds that the entry would be detrimental to the interest of the Philippines or impose such restrictions as he may deem appropriate: 2. Waive passport and/or documentary requirements for non-immigrants and immigrants under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe: 3. Change the status of non-immigrants by allowing them to acquire permanent residence status without necessity of a visa.

The law also gives the president powers to “deport any foreign national, subject to the requirement of due process; admit non-immigrants, not otherwise provided for in this Act, for humanitarian consideration and when not detrimental to public interest, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, and prohibit the departure from the Philippines of any person who is likely to disclose national security information, or who is likely to organize a rebellion abroad against the Philippines, or whose presence in the country is necessary to face or be a witness in criminal proceedings; and exercise with respect to foreign nationals in the Philippines such powers as are recognized by the generally accepted principles of international law."