Marcos appoints Viado as new BI chief, calls for modern immigration law

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Joel Anthony M. Viado as the new Bureau of Immigration (BI) chief following the dismissal of his predecessor, Norman Tansingco.

Viado, who has been serving as officer-in-charge since September 2023, emphasized his commitment to reform existing policies and procedures within the agency.

He called for the enactment of a new immigration law to replace the outdated Philippine Immigration Act, which he described as an 'obstacle' to modernization.

The new legislation would streamline procedures, enhance border security, and improve governance of immigration policies, aligning with President Marcos's initiatives.

Viado, a lawyer by profession with degrees from the University of the Philippines Diliman, has been working on modernizing BI’s operations since taking over as officer-in-charge.