MANILA — Malacañang said a proposal to impose a PHP240 fee on travelers entering and leaving the country remains under study, with no final decision made on its implementation.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the measure, which was earlier floated by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), has not yet reached the approval stage.

“Sa ngayon po ito ay proposal pa lamang. Wala pa po itong anumang desisyon (As of now, this is still a proposal. Nothing is final yet),” Castro said in a Palace briefing.

She said the public should not be alarmed, as discussions on the proposal remain in the preliminary stage.

The proposed fee is intended to help fund the modernization and upgrading of the BI’s border control and monitoring systems.

Castro said the goal is to improve the country’s immigration system, but stressed that any such measure must be implemented transparently and with public trust.

Asked if President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. supports the proposal, Castro said the Palace has yet to take a position since the measure is still under evaluation.