Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said Friday she supports calls for a unified vaccination card that will be used by Filipinos for domestic and international travel.
In an interview over DZBB, Rubiano said Pasay City's vaccination records are already being linked with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) for easier tracing and verification.
"Sa ngayon po ay nagti-train na kami ng mga staff upang sa ganoon ay maisama na sa software system na dini-develop ng DICT ang ating vaccination records at sa ganoon ay magiging madali na rin ang pag-input sa database,” (We are already training our staff to incorporate our vaccination data into the software system being developed by the DICT for easier input at the database), Rubiano said.
She said the city is currently using QR codes in issuing vaccination record through pasay.emi.com, which makes it easier for them in compiling the list of vaccinated residents.
“Mas maganda po kapag ginagamitan ng QR code sapagkat hindi na kailangan pang mag-type ng pagkahaba-haba para lang mag-record o di kaya mag-verify,” (It is easier to use QR codes as they you don’t need to type anymore to record and it can be easily verified), Rubiano added.
The mayor also said that with the QR code, it can be easily determined if the vaccination card is genuine or fake.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) had earlier ordered that travelers need not undergo swab tests if they are already fully vaccinated.
Under the new interzonal travel guidelines issued by the national government, a fully vaccinated person need not undergo swab test by just presenting a vaccination card or a quarantine completion certificate showing the holder’s vaccination status.
Some governors questioned how the new protocols could be enforced, saying there is no way to validate coronavirus vaccination cards.
Quirino Gov. Dakila Cua, who is also president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, said local government units (LGUs) were not consulted about the guidelines.
He demanded that a process that will check the authenticity of vaccination cards must be established first before the IATF order is implemented.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF would discuss the issues related to the new travel and quarantine guidelines, but stressed that for now, local governments should follow them.
In the same interview, Rubiano also credited the city's efficient utilization of vaccination and the strict enforcement of health protocols in all public places as the keys for the city to have one of the lowest numbers of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila.