Due to passenger concerns, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday that it will replace the government’s online database One Health Pass with a new electronic arrival card.
During a news conference, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) was held to propose replacing the One Health Pass due to reports of inconvenience that it causes passengers – specifically overseas Filipino workers on vacation.
“Ngayon, to ease itong restriction sa One Health Pass, itong requirement na ito ginawa nang eArrival Card. Kakaunting datos na lang ang nakalagay diyan, wala na pong masyadong hinihinging requirements,” said Vergeire.
The One Health Pass requires visitors visiting the nation to register at its online site and fill out a form three days before boarding an aircraft to the Philippines to get a transaction number, then one day before flying to acquire a QR code.
Vergeire previously stated that OFWs have been complaining about long lines at the country’s airports as a result of the procedure of confirming the One Health Pass.
“Kung hindi mo ma-upload yan, meron tayong special lane sa ating airports kung saan ia-assist ka nila. Doon ka mag-u-upload at doon mo makukuha ang eArrival card mo,” she added.
To simplify the procedure, the DOH directed the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) to study the One Health Pass.
According to Vergeire, the eArrival Card serves the same purpose as the One Health Pass: Acquiring information like travel data and immunization status.
