Another bill seeking rollout of vaccine passports filed in the Senate
MANILA, Philippines — A third bill seeking to establish a vaccine passport program has been filed in the Senate six months into the government's inoculation program.
Senate Bill No. 2381 or the Vaccine Program Act was introduced by Sens. Sonny Angara, Pia Cayetano and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon.
"This bill seeks to create and implement a Vaccine Passport Program which shall provide an individual's record of COVID-19 vaccinations, RT-PCR testing, any benefits or exemptions, and other information determined to be necessary," they said in an explanatory note.
They cited "reports that a global system for the international recognition and validation of vaccine passports is under development," noting that several countries have already implemented similar passport programs "to facilitate safer transborder travels."
"A vaccine passport also helps to open businesses and establishments, restarting economic and cultural activity," they said.
They also referenced countries such South Korea, Israel, and France, which have implemented "a similar vaccine pass or other proof of vaccination that will allow access to cultural sites, gyms, theaters, museums, restaurants, bars, and cafes."
What's in the bill?
The bill lists the following as the benefits available to vaccine passport holders who may be "partially or fully vaccinated:"
- Non-essential domestic travel
- International travel, as may be allowed in foreign jurisdictions
- Local checkpoint and quarantine exemptions or reduced quarantine 12 time
- Access to business establishments allowed to operate based on lATF-EID guidelines, such as but not limited to, indoor and outdoor dining, entertainment venues, cultural centers such as museums and galleries, and sports venues
It stipulates, however, that "individuals who tested positive in the last 14 days for COVID-19 based on the latest RT-PCR test recorded in their vaccine passport shall not be granted any benefit or exemption as provided in this Act, regardless of their vaccination status."
These benefits are reinstated once a negative RT-PCR test has been recorded in the passport.
Also under the bill, local government units are tasked with issuing vaccine passports to all fully inoculated individuals subject to guidelines promulgated by the Department of Health and data privacy laws. LGUs are currently in charge of issuing vaccine cards as well although their format still varies per government.
"The issuance of a vaccine passport is intended to be digital, but shall remain accessible through other means such as printed passports," the bill reads.
"The Department of Information and Communications Technology shall develop the digital systems and applications based on LGU-driven data that will meet the objectives of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program while maintaining quality, safety, ease of use, and accessibility for all Filipinos."
The DICT recently said that VaxCertPH, designed to address the lack of uniformity in certificates that indicate a person's vaccination status, may be available to the public next month.
The DOH is also tasked with maintaining a central database of vaccinations and mandating the format of the passports to ensure uniformity and authenticity.
The bill mandates that vaccine passports be issued for free.
There is also a section in the bill that prohibits interpreting the law "as to discriminate against" the following:
- Persons who are unable to get vaccinated due to the unavailability of vaccines
- Persons with valid health conditions that prevent them from being vaccinated
- Persons who belong to an age group that are unable to be vaccinated and are not included in the COVID-19 vaccination program
Cayetano and Sen. Grace Poe filed separate versions of the bill in January this year, months before the government began rolling out vaccines.
Since then, the latest government figures show that 15.03 million or 13.79% of Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
As of September 5, 20.81 million or 19.08% of the population has received at least a first dose of the vaccine.
Government experts recently raised the herd immunity target to 90% due to the spread of coronavirus variants which have lowered the efficacy of vaccines against symptomatic infections.
DOH has stressed, however, that the vaccines remain effective at preventing severe disease and death. — Bella Perez-Rubio
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