NCR mayors to transmit database to DICT within August for unified vaccination cards

Passengers show their vaccination cards upon entering the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 at Edsa-North Avenue Station to avail of a free ride starting Tuesday to August 20 2021, as the NCR reverts back to ECQ due to the rise of Delta variant covid19 cases. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila chief executives are eyeing to transmit its database to the Department of Information and Communications (DICT) within August for the issuance of a unified vaccination card or certificate.

Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, who also chairs the Metro Manila Council (MMC), said Friday that the unified vaccination cards were among the issues being discussed within the council .

“Napag-usapan po namin yan sa MMC. In fact, yung aming mga IT (information technology) ay patuloy nagdo-dowload sa DICT para sa ating unified vaccination card. Tuloy-tuloy na ginagawa yan ng mga LGU dito sa Metro Manila,” Olivarez said in an interview with Teleradyo.

“Itong August ang tinatarget natin. Within the month of August,” the mayor said when asked about the target timeline of the LGUs.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin earlier said the vaccination cards issued in the Philippines are not honored by Hong Kong authorities since they did not come from one source.

Currently, vaccination cards in the country are issued by the local government where a person was inoculated.

As a remedy, the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) said that outbound travelers who have been fully vaccinated in the Philippines may apply for a yellow card at the Bureau of Quarantine.

Yellow cards formally called the International Certificate of Vaccine (ICV), are given to travelers bound to countries that require proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

The ICV is recognized in countries acknowledging the World Health Organization (WHO).

EDV