Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday, June 3, appealed to the government to forego the mandatory 14-day quarantine for fully-vaccinated individuals entering the Philippines.
"Calling on IATF/DOH (Interagency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases/Department of Health) to remove the 14-day quarantine on fully-vaccinated persons entering the Philippines as long as health standards are followed," Sotto said in message to reporters.
"Why do fully vaccinated people have to still do the two-week quarantine when traveling to the Philippines? it doesn’t make sense!" he added.
According to the Senate chief, the mandatory quarantine discourages investors who are interested to do business in the Philippines.
"Vaccinated investors won’t come because they have to quarantine or even Filipinos who are vaccinated are having second thoughts," he stressed.
Under the IATF's Resolution No. 114 issued May 6, 2021, all travelers entering the Philippines must undergo 14-day quarantine upon arrival. The first 10 days must be observed in a quarantine facility, regardless of their negative COVID-19 test result.
The remainder, meanwhile, must be completed under home quarantine in their respective local government units of destination.
" Defeats the purpose of vaccinating so we can open the economy," Sotto said.
Sotto also agreed with calls for the IATF to lift its face shield policy, saying its effectiveness in preventing coronavirus infection, in addition to face masks, has not yet been proven.
"Not proven. No country in the world does it," he said.