The government's pandemic task force has approved the proposal to accept the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine certificates of 15 countries as sufficient proof of vaccination for a number of purposes, including entry to the country.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the announcement as the country further eases COVID-19 restrictions as the number of daily infections continues to dwindle.
In his press briefing on Friday, February 18, Nograles said that the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is now recognizing or accepting as proof of vaccination the national/state COVID-19 vaccination certificates of the following countries:
- Argentina
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- Chile
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Papua New Guinea
- Peru
- Portugal
- Spain
- Azerbaijan
- Macau
- Syria
The acting Palace spokesman said that the vaccination certificates of the said territories shall be "accepted/recognized as other proofs of vaccination required for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols as well as for interzonal/intrazonal movement."
The Bureau of Quarantine, the Department of Transportation - One-Stop-Shop, and the Bureau of Immigration, meanwhile, are directed to recognize only the proofs of vaccination thus approved by the IATF.
Early this week, Nograles said the IATF has accepted the national COVID-19 vaccination certificates of Malaysia and Ireland for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols and for local travel.
On February 10, the country started accepting foreign travelers into the country for business and tourism purposes after having its borders closed for almost two years and even released updated protocols.