December 3, 2009

DOJ MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 016-09

 

WHEREAS, Department of Justice (DOJ) Memorandum Order No. (MO) 004, s. 2009, authorized the establishment of ten (10) Immigration Area Offices (IAO) in the Bureau of Immigration to expand its decentralization thrusts to make its services more effective and efficient; TAcSaC

WHEREAS, DOJ MO 004 provided the legal framework for the Bureaus' decentralization/regionalization program;

WHEREAS, DOJ MO 13, s. 2009, reorganizing the need to rationalize the geographical area covered by the Bureau's regionalization program, created from IAO-X the IAO Regions X-A and X-B, comprising parts of Administrative Regions 10 and 13 (CARAGA), bringing the number of IAOs to eleven (11); and

WHEREAS, responsive administration and oversight of the IAOs require further decentralization of IAO-II (Administrative Regions 2 and 3), IAO-III (National Capital Region-North), and IAO-IV (National Capital Region-South), designation of over-all immigration area directors by island grouping or foreigner/alien population density, and chairman of the Bureau's regionalization program/committee.

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7 (3 and 4), Chapter 2, and Section 20 (3), Chapter 4, of Book IV, Executive Order No. 292, s. 1987, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, in relation to Section 3 of Commonwealth Act No. 613, otherwise known as the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, as amended, subject to existing laws, and as recommended by the Commissioner of Immigration, it is hereby ordered:

SECTION 1. Section 1 of MO 004, s. 2009, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF IMMIGRATION AREA OFFICES.— Sixteen (16) Immigration Area Offices covering the seventeen (17) geo-political subdivisions of the country are hereby constituted and established within the framework of the Bureau of Immigration's organizational structure, clustered accordingly, as follows:

Immigration Area	Area of Responsibility	Location of Office
Office (IAO)	(geographical/political
	subdivision)
IAO-I	Region 1 and Cordillera	San Fernando City, La Union
	Autonomous Region (CAR)
IAO-II	REGION 2	TUGUEGARAO CITY,
		CAGAYAN
IAO-III	REGION 3	ANGELES CITY,
		PAMPANGA
IAO-IV-A	NATIONAL CAPITAL	BINONDO, MANILA
	REGION (NCR) CENTRAL,
	CONSISTING OF THE
	CITY OF MANILA
IAO-IV-B	NATIONAL CAPITAL	CALOOCAN CITY
	REGION (NCR)-NORTH,
	CONSISTING OF THE
	CITIES OF CALOOCAN,
	MALABON, VALENZUELA
	AND MUNICIPALITY OF
	NAVOTAS
IAO-IV-C	NATIONAL CAPITAL	MANDALUYONG CITY
	REGION (NCR)-EAST,
	CONSISTING OF THE
	CITIES OF TAGUIG,
	MANDALUYONG AND
	MAKATI, AND
	MUNICIPALITY OF SAN
	JUAN
IAO-IV-D	NATIONAL CAPITAL	QUEZON CITY
	REGION (NCR)-WEST,
	CONSISTING OF THE
	CITIES OF QUEZON,
	MARIKINA AND PASIG
IAO-IV-E	NATIONAL CAPITAL	PARAÑAQUE
	REGION (NCR)-SOUTH,
	CONSISTING OF THE
	CITIES OF PASAY,
	PARAÑAQUE, LAS PIÑAS,
	MUNTINLUPA AND
	MUNICIPALITY OF
	PATEROS
IAO-V	Region 4-A (CALABARZON)	Batangas City, Batangas
IAO-V-A	REGIONS 4-B AND 5	NAGA CITY
IAO-VI	Region 6	Iloilo City, Iloilo
IAO-VII	Regions 7 and 8	Cebu City, Cebu
IAO-VIII	Region 9 and Autonomous	Zamboanga City
	Region of Muslim Mindanao
	(ARMM)
IAO-IX	Regions 11 and 12	Davao City
IAO-X-A	Parts of Regions 10 and 13	Cagayan de Oro City
	consisting of the Provinces of
	Camiguin, Misamis Oriental,
	Agusan del Norte, Surigao del
	Norte, Surigao del Sur, and
	Dinagat Islands
IAO-X-B	Parts of Regions 10 and 13	Iligan City
	consisting of the Provinces of
	Misamis Occidental, Lanao del
	Norte, Bukidnon and Agusan
	del Sur

 

SECTION 2. Section 2-A shall be added as follows:

"SECTION 2-A. DESIGNATION OF OVER-ALL AREA DIRECTOR AND CHAIRMAN. — FOR EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION AND OVERSIGHT, THE IMMIGRATION COMMISSIONER SHALL, SUBJECT TO THE CONFIRMATION OF THE SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, DESIGNATE OVER-ALL AREA DIRECTOR EACH FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, LUZON, VISAYAS, AND MINDANAO, THROUGH THE ISSUANCE OF APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL ORDER. THE BUREAU'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHALL SERVE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE DECENTRALIZATION/REGIONALIZATION PROGRAM TO UNDERTAKE THE NECESSARY COORDINATION AND SUPERVISION THEREOF. THE OFFICERS THAT ARE ALREADY PERFORMING SUCH FUNCTIONS SHALL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTIL THEIR DESIGNATION IS OTHERWISE REVOKED UNDER THIS ORDER." cDSaEH

SECTION 3. Section 3-B shall be added as follows:

"SECTION 3-A. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE OVER-ALL AREA DIRECTOR. — THE OVER-ALL AREA DIRECTOR SHALL UNDERTAKE THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. EXERCISE FULL CONTROL AND SUPERVISION OF ALL IADS WITHIN HIS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY IN PURSUANCE OF WHICH THE SUBMISSION OF REGULAR REPORTS UNDER SECTION 3 (6) OF MO 004 SHALL BE MADE TO THEM BY THE IADS;

2. ACT FOR AND IN BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE DECENTRALIZATION/REGIONALIZATION PROGRAM ON MATTERS WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION AND COMPETENCE AS PRESCRIBED BY LAW, RULES AND REGULATIONS;

3. SUBMIT REPORTS TO THE COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION AS MAY BE REQUIRED;

4. ENSURE THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALL IMMIGRATION LAWS, RULES AND ISSUANCES, WITHIN HIS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY; AND

5. PERFORM OTHER FUNCTIONS AS MAY BE DIRECTED BY THE COMMISSIONER, DECENTRALIZATION/REGIONALIZATION CHAIRMAN, OR THE SECRETARY OF JUSTICE."

SECTION 4. All department orders, circulars, issuances or memoranda inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. This Order shall take effect immediately and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3 and 4, Chapter 2, Book VII of Executive Order 292, s. 1987, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987. STIcEA

Let the requisite number of copies hereof be filed with the Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

DONE in the City of Manila, Philippines.

(SGD.) AGNES VST DEVANADERAActing Secretary