The Philippine Health Department is still working on means to verify the vaccination status of OFWs and OTHER inbound travelers in the country.
This comes after the IATF has approved to reduce the quarantine period to seven days for arriving passengers who have been fully vaccinated in the Philippines.
RELATED STORY: Pregnant Filipinas, OFWs on cancelled visas in UAE appeal to IATF to allow them to go home to PH
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire admitted that the government has yet to form a system to verify the vaccination status of inbound passengers who received COVID-19 jabs abroad.
“May challenge pa tayo kasi sa systems natin ngayon kung saan humahanap pa tayo ng means to verify ‘yung vaccination na manggagaling sa ibang bansa,” she said in a press briefing.
Vergeire said they are studying to adopt the Bureau of Quarantine’s verification system as well as bilateral agreements with some countries.
Meanwhile, the health official said addressed the concern of overseas Filipino workers and other sectors who are not included in the reduced quarantine period of inbound passengers.
Vergeire explained that other sectors will be included in the following months as the relaxation of the quarantine period for incoming travelers will be done in phases and gradual. (RA)
