Press Release
June 15, 2021

Villanueva seeks clearer policy covering on proof of vaccination for fully-inoculated Filipinos, OFWs

Senator Joel Villanueva today sought clarification from officials involved in pandemic response on what he said was a "confusing" policy that would require those fully-vaccinated Filipinos to produce two sets of proof--a vaccine card and certification issued by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) or the Local Health Officer.

"Isn't this additional red tape?" Villanueva asked during the Senate committee of the whole hearing on the Philippine government's COVID-19 response.

At the hearing Health Secretary Francisco Duque said he was not sure if the policy is being implemented already, but Villanueva asked him and other officials at the hearing to check.

"It further confuses our people," Villanueva said. "There's already a vaccine card, and you still require certification?" he said.

According to Villanueva, the policy involved requiring those who had been vaccinated here to also seek certification from their local health officers or the DICT to state that they had already been injected with vaccines.

"In the first place, are they trained to certify the vaccination?" Villanueva said of local health personnel.

"I hope you look into this," the lawmaker said at the hearing, addressing himself to officials from the IATF who are tasked with implementing the government's pandemic response.

Villanueva pertained to Paragraph B of IATF Resolution No. 120, series of 2021, which stated that aside from the vaccination card, a fully vaccinated individual must carry a certification issued by the Department of Information and Communications Technology or the City Health Officer.

He said the policy, which is set to be implemented on June 16, would be burdensome for Filipinos who were fully vaccinated before leaving the country because it would appear the vaccination cards issued to them would not be enough proof of their inoculation.

Likewise, the policy was also silent about returning OFWs who received their full dose overseas, the lawmaker pointed out.

During Villanueva's questioning, it emerged that there was no clear policy on the standard document to be recognized as proof of vaccination.

Villanueva said he wanted clarification on the vaccine proof policy because "there is fake news circulating."


Malinaw na panuntunan sa 'proof of vaccination' para sa mga Pinoy at OFW, hiniling ni Villanueva

Hiniling ni Senator Joel Villanueva na linawin ng gobyerno ang tila nakakalitong panuntunan nito pagdating sa "proof of vaccination" na hihingin sa mga Pilipinong nabakunahan na, lalo na sa mga OFWs.

Ayon sa senador, na chairman ng Senate labor committee, nakatakda sa isang panuntunan ng IATF na maliban vaccination card, kailangan rin ipakita bilang patunay na fully vaccinated ang isang tao gamit ang sertipikasyon mula sa Department of Information and Communications Technology o mula sa Local Health Officer.

"Hindi po ba ito dagdag na red tape?" tanong ni Villanueva sa pagsisimula ng pagdinig ng Senate committee of the whole sa programa ng gobyerno kontra COVID-19.

Sinabi ni Health Secretary Francisco Duque sa pagdinig na hindi siya sigurado kung ipapatupad na ang naturang panuntunan sa ngayon, at hiniling ni Villanueva sa kalihim at sa ibang pang mga opisyal na magsiyasat tungkol dito.

"Nakakalito lang po ito sa mga tao. May vaccine card ka na po, kailangan pa ba ng hiwalay na sertipikasyon?" ani Villanueva.

Ayon sa panuntunan, lahat ng nabakunahan na kontra COVID-19 ay kailangang kumuha ng sertipikasyon mula sa local health officers o sa DICT bilang patunay na sila ay nakatanggap na ng bakuna.

"Trained po ba o may kakayahan ang mga ito na mag-certify tungkol sa pagbabakuna?" sabi ni Villanueva. "Sana po ay seryosong pag-aralan ito ng IATF."

Ayon sa Paragraph B ng IATF Resolution No. 120, series of 2021, maliban sa vaccination card, ang isang taong "fully vaccinated" na ay kailangan ring kumuha ng sertipikasyon mula sa DICT o Local Health Officer ng LGU.

Sabi ni Villanueva, ang nakatakdang ipatupad ang panuntunan sa Hunyo 16 ay magiging mabigat para sa mga mamamayang nais umalis ng bansa dahil magkukulang ang dala nilang pruweba ng pagbabakuna.

Hindi rin malinaw kung ang mga pabalik ng OFWs sa bansa na nabakunahan sa ibang bansa ay nakapaloob sa panuntunang ito, dagdag pa ng senador. Dapat umano itong linawin ng pamahalaan, lalo pa't maraming kumakalat na "fake news" tungkol dito.

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