MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Monday cited the need for an international agreement that would set the standards for authenticating COVID-19 vaccine certificates after some sectors criticized the protocols for arriving individuals who got vaccinated in the Philippines.
Roque said the Philippine government's decision to require travelers who have been inoculated in the Philippines to undergo a seven-day facility-based quarantine upon arrival has stirred controversy.
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Foreign nationals, overseas Filipino workers and Filipinos who have been fully vaccinated abroad are not covered by the policy. However, they should still undergo the usual testing protocols and complete a ten-day facility-based quarantine.
"Many criticized (the decision) last weekend. Their request is to do away with the quarantine for returning Filipinos especially those who are taking their vacation," Roque said during the ceremonial vaccination of economic frontliners at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay.
"The problem is we do not have yet an international agreement on how to verify the authenticity of the vaccination card...Perhaps we need to have an international agreement on the standard vaccination certificate so there would be no problems on authenticating, on determining whether the vaccination card is authentic or fake," he added.
Roque said the Philippines has just started the vaccination of workers in essential sectors so Filipinos can wait for an international agreement on vaccine cards.
"If we were able to wait for the arrival of vaccines for one year, perhaps we can also wait for a short period of time for the entire world to have an agreement on what to do with people who have been vaccinated," the Palace spokesman said.
"For the A4, the good news is whatever agreement is forged by countries worldwide, and we are now vaccinated, we now have a protection against severe illness, against COVID and we have a protection against death due to COVID and we can go back to work because of the vaccines," he added.