The Philippines, through the Bureau of Immigration (BI), has partnered with the Australian government for knowledge-sharing on crucial aspects of border management.

Commissioner Norman Tansingco headed the BI delegation in Canberra and Melbourne on Feb. 5 to 8, according to a news release on Saturday.

The BI officials attended a study tour program arranged by the Australian Embassy in the Philippines and facilitated by the Australia Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force.

They visited key sites, met with senior officers from Australian agencies, and participated in roundtable discussions focusing on advanced passenger information, immigration priorities, human trafficking, cyber threats, and counter-terrorism efforts.

“We participated in the program to understand Australia’s approaches and strategies in these areas, with a view to adapting and implementing best practices in the context of Philippine immigration,” Tansingco said.

“The program also offered opportunities for the BI delegation to explore innovative technologies and operational methodologies utilized by Australian authorities,” he added.

Tansingco said they were particularly interested in the discussions on the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record, which are advanced data used in pre-vetting arriving foreign nationals, as well as Australia’s approach on security and human trafficking, and their use of electronic gates.

Also discussed in the study tour were approaches against cyberthreats and terrorism.

“There were a lot of eye-opening learnings that we were able to note during the study tour that we will be adopting in Philippine immigration,” the BI chief said. “Activities like these help us gain more perspective about international trends that we can implement in the country.” (PNA)