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| DILG has instructed all local governments to recognize and accept vaccination cards or VaxCertPH, whichever is available, for domestic travel. Photo: Anthony Lamnag/Facebook |
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directed all local government units (LGUs) to recognize and accept LGU-issued vaccination cards and VaxCertPH digital certificates, whichever is available, for domestic travel reasons while the VaxCertPH program is still in its early stages.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año recently issued an advisory to all LGUs and DILG Regional, Provincial, and Field Offices regarding the VaxCertPH program after learning that some LGUs required VaxCertPH for the issuance of travel passes.
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya stated that the vaccination card or the digital vaccination certificate from VaxcertPh is sufficient to be used as a requirement for domestic travel.
The purpose of VaxCertPH, for now, is to provide Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipinos traveling abroad a vaccination certificate, and it is not required for domestic travel under IATF regulations.
Malaya further underlined that the vaccination card issued by the local government unit or the VaxCertPH digital certificate will suffice. There is no requirement for these documents to be certified by the LGU.
VaxCertPH is the official electronic vaccination certificate of the Philippines or those vaccinated in the country. It is valid for both international and domestic travel. It adheres to the World Health Organization's (WHO) criteria for Digital Documentation of COVID-19 Certificates (DDCC).
It is a self-service portal that uses vaccination data supplied by local government units (LGUs) via the DICT's VORS. It includes a request and creation function for "the COVID-19 Digital Vaccination Certificate"; it generates a QR (Quick Response) code that authenticates the certificate, and it includes a request feature for changing records if vaccination data are inaccurate or information is missing.
After vaccination, there are two ways to obtain your VaxCertPH: via the website https://vaxcert.doh.gov.ph/ or by contacting your LGU for assistance. VaxCertPH can be generated using a smartphone or a computer as long as the information entered on the website matches the news on your immunization cards.
In August of this year, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular No. 2021-095, urging local chief executives (LCEs) to actively participate in and support the DICT's VaxCertPH training programs.
The Department of Health is mandated by Republic Act No. 11525, better known as the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, to provide COVID-19 vaccine cards to all persons who have been immunized.
In collaboration with the DOH and DILG, DICT was tasked with developing a digital method to certify that a person had been vaccinated in the country. —Tacloban News Update