At least 32 lawmakers demanded an investigation on the questionable bidding process in the contract for the issuance of “yellow cards” of the Bureau of Quarantine.
They also wanted to know as to why the agency has imposed a P370-charge for the vaccination cards when Republic Act No. 11525 mandates that they should be free.
The international vaccination card is now an important employment requirement for departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
House economic affairs committee chairperson Sharon Garin cited various concerns on the BOQ’s contract with fin-tech firm PisoPay.
“We aim to help our OFWs return to their jobs and support their families amidst the challenges of the pandemic. The government should not add to their burden by unnecessarily charging them with fees to secure their vaccination cards,” Garin said.
BOQ has previously said that P300 is for the card issuance while P70 is for the convenience fee payment to PisoPay.
Garin said this is overpriced since government agencies only charge P30 for convenience fees.
Lawmakers also question the credibility and track record of PisoPay, a relatively young company incorporated in 2017 and received license as a remittance agent from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas only in 2019.
