Senator Nancy Binay is calling for the lifting of the ‘One Health Pass (OHP) requirement for travelers and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are arriving in the country.
Binay said she had received a lot of complaints about the screening system.
“Dapat i-lift na natin ang One Health Pass dahil hindi na rin ito nagiging praktikal at mas nagiging inconvenient ito para sa nakararami. Mas malaking hassle sa ating mga OFW at balikbayan dahil dagdag na screening kahit quarantine-cleared at kumpleto sila sa bakuna at boosters. From the tourism lens, we might be turning away potential guests because of this added bureaucratic layer whose effectiveness isn’t even guaranteed,”Binay said in a statement.
The senator also urges the Tourism Department to review the remaining requirements for inbound travelers and simplify the process for them.
The OHP, which the Bureau of Quarantine and Department of Transportation implement to process the mandatory health protocols and quarantine requirements of international travelers.
Binay said the screening and verification process involving the OHP led to long lines in airports across the country.
The senator added that besides the risk of data breaches, the OHP has also been the subject of scams, with the government repeatedly issuing warnings against websites demanding payment to issue fake passes.
“Minsan, nakakatulong din naman na sumunod tayo sa trends. Other countries, even our ASEAN neighbors, are already liberalizing and rationalizing their entry processes. If they come from cities that have a high vaccination rate, there is no reason why we must be stricter, especially against other countries that have better vaccination rates than us,” she said.
Binay said that if the government still sees the need to issue the pass, it should immediately address inefficiencies and improve the accessibility and interface of the website.
