Gov't to review latest policy on interzonal travel of fully-vaccinated individuals - Duque

MANILA (UPDATE) - The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said authorities will discuss again the latest policy of the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 allowing interzonal travel for all fully-vaccinated individuals provided that they only present a domestic vaccination card or certificate of isolation issued by the Bureau of Quarantine.

Local government leaders have expressed concerns on Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No. 124-B, citing lack of consultation and the difficulty to validate vaccination cards.

• Fully-vaccinated persons allowed to forego domestic travel testing requirement

"Bago niyan, ang dati nating resolution ay meron tayong testing... Sa ngayon, ibabalik muna natin doon (testing requirement) hangga't sa maayos natin bukas, matapos ang usapin kung kinakailangan amiyendahan pa itong Resolution Number 124-B," Health Secretary Francisco Duque told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

In a statement, the DOH said that "while the IATF has said that vax cards may be used in lieu of testing requirements, as we iron out operational concerns, IATF Reso. 101 remains in effect."

"This means LGU can still require testing as a requirement to entry. Status quo po tayo," it added.

Duque said the leaders the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (​ULAP) and the League of Provinces of the Philippines would be invited to a meeting on Thursday, July 8, to discuss the issue.

"Parang nagkakaproblema dahil yung implementation, medyo may mga operational challenges or difficulties. So plaplantsahin natin ito bukas," he said of the IATF Reso. No. 124-B.

Local government leaders will have to sit down to discuss how they plan to verify the authenticity of vaccination cards that need to be presented in borders in lieu of a negative COVID-19 test, the Health chief said.

"Yung sistema kasi natin sa ngayon ay parang good faith lang muna, yun ay kikilalanin natin itong vaccination card," he said.

"Kapag pineke mo ito, this is a public document... ay mapapatawan ka ng kaparusahan," he added.

The national government announced the new policy on interzonal travel of fully vaccinated people on Sunday.

Citing the latest IATF resolution, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said a COVID-19 domestic vaccination card duly signed by a legitimate vaccinating establishment or certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status issued by the Bureau of Quarantine shall be sufficient alternatives to any testing requirement.

Several local leaders were quick to raise concerns over the policy.

• 'Paano mabeberipika?' LGUs nabulaga sa niluwagang travel protocol sa fully-vaccinated

"To be quite direct to the point, hindi po kasi 'yan na-discuss at nakonsulta sa amin, sa mga LGU... Marami tayong kasamahang gobernador na nag-express ng concern na hindi natin mapaliwag kasi hindi nga po nagkaroon ng sapat na ugnayan," Quirino Governor Dakila Cua, president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), said Tuesday.

"May mga tanong mula sa aking mga kasamahan: Paano mave-verify ang vaccination card? Hindi naman sophisticated ang vaccination card natin. Wala naman kaming alam na may security feature at validation process ito, or system para ma-check kung tama or peke ito. Those are the things that we need to operationalize bago maging in effect ang direktiba," he added.

The Department of Science and Technology is working on the country's "vaccine management information system" that would integrate data on vaccinated individuals in the Philippines, Duque said.

"[Kailangan] Mapaunlad muna natin yung sistema," he said.

"Pinaghahandaan natin na luminya siya o magkaroon ng alignment kung magkaroon man ng international certification process. Pati yung mga galing abroad, magkakaroon na ng sharing ng databases," he said.

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