LOCAL government units (LGUs) may decide whether to honor vaccination cards or require fully vaccinated travelers to undergo a swab test for the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
This was confirmed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases during its meeting Thursday, July 8, 2021, with some LGU groups.
In a press briefing Friday, July 9, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the IATF agreed that its Resolutions 101 and 124-B do not contradict each other and remain in effect.
Both resolutions will also be enforced, she added.
“Ibig sabihin, ‘yung recognition ng fully vaccinated gagawin pa rin ‘yan but for those local governments na meron silang protocol na pagte-test...kung sa tingin nila, based on risk assessment nila, ay kailangan i-test ang kanilang travelers, ay ibinibigay pa rin ‘yung authority sa kanila,” Vergeire said.
(This means that LGUs may honor vaccination cards. But based on their risk assessment, LGUs have the authority to require a test from travelers.)
IATF Resolution 101, approved on February 26, 2021, LGUs may “require testing as a requirement prior to travel, and such shall be limited to RT-PCR.”
Resolution 124-B, approved on July 2, 2021, allows fully vaccinated travelers, including senior citizens, to merely present a “Covid-19 domestic vaccination card duly issued by a legitimate vaccinating establishment, or certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status as may be issued by the Bureau of Quarantine.”
These are deemed “sufficient alternatives to any testing requirement before travel or upon arrival.”
Some LGUs, however, balked at solely accepting vaccination cards since these could be easily falsified and measures to verify authenticity are not yet in place.
Besides, there is no standardized vaccination card yet. Each LGU or private sector vaccination center has adopted its own design and size for vaccination cards.
Under Republic Act 115251, or the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act, the vaccine card is supposed to be digital although it will remain accessible through printed versions.
The DOH, through the Department of Information and Communications Technology, is supposed to develop LGU-based digital systems and applications, maintain a central database of vaccinations, and mandate a uniform format. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)