The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has allowed special commercial flights exclusively to bring home stranded Filipinos in Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other countries where travel restrictions are imposed, Malacañang said on Friday.
The special commercial flights are subject to guidelines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.
He said a Special Working Group (SWG) would be formed to determine the protocols for the special commercial flights, in coordination with the concerned airlines.
The SWG, he said, would be composed of the Department of Health, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its One-Stop Shop, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Department of Tourism.
In other developments:
* The Quezon City government has started to affix tamper-proof security seals on the vaccination cards of QCitizens following their second doses to ensure that fake cards are not mistaken for authentic ones.
* Pasay City Mayor Imelda Rubiano on Friday expressed her support to the proposed unified vaccination card that can be used by fully inoculated individuals need to travel outside Metro Manila. Pasay has a data base already linked to the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) for tracing and verification.
* The global Coca-Cola Foundation donating US$400,000 (P20 million) to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to help expedite vaccine distribution around the country. The grant is part of a US$20 million total global fund to support nonprofit partners working to stop the spread of COVID-19 through vaccine distribution, personal protective equipment, and public awareness efforts.
“The special commercial flights, which must have prior approval from the SWG, shall likewise be exclusive for Filipinos,” Roque said.
Roque said the guidelines on the repatriation programs by the Philippine government and non-government organizations should also be followed.
The IATF-EID earlier allowed non-Philippine government repatriation efforts amid the travel ban on India and other countries.
The travel restrictions on travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have been extended until July 15 due to the threat posed by the Delta coronavirus variant.
Exempted from the travel ban are Filipinos who are returning to the country as part of the repatriation programs.
Under IATF-EID Resolution 119 issued on June 3, the DFA and OWWA are directed to do prior coordination with each other at least 48 hours before the departure of returning Filipinos.
The DFA and OWWA are also tasked to coordinate the BOQ, DOTr and its One-Stop-Shop, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 Task Group for the Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos.
In the case of non-Philippine government repatriations, all Filipino repatriates from the countries with travel restrictions must present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result taken within 48 hours before boarding the aircraft or vessel.
The BOQ’s approval is also needed for the entry of flight or vessel carrying Filipino repatriates before its movement from point of origin.
All repatriates from countries covered by the travel ban are mandated to undergo a strict 14-day facility-based quarantine upon their arrival, according to the resolution.
The rollout began yesterday in Quezon City at the six vaccination sites scheduled to administer second doses to about 4,000 individuals, and would continue until the national government starts implementing its centralized vaccination certification system.
“Apart from a vaccination certificate for travel or work, which the Quezon City health department also issues, the tamper-proof security seal guarantees that vaccination cards presented for whatever purpose are genuine. Now that inter-zonal travel for fully vaccinated individuals is being relaxed and more merchants are offering discounts to vaccinated individuals, our goal is to ensure that our Qcitizens will have easier access to places and services,” Belmonte said.
“The original purpose of the city-issued vaccination card was merely to provide the necessary information related to an individual’s vaccination, such as the date of the second dose, the vaccine brand administered, and who administered it; but given the delay in the roll-out of vaccine passes or a centralized vaccination certification system by the national government, we are in the interim, putting in place measures to make the vaccination cards more secure, especially for those requiring this for travel, work, and other purposes,” Quezon City Vax To Normal co-chairperson Joseph Juico said.
The hologram seal would be countersigned by an authorized representative of Task Force Vax to Normal.
“The security seal certifies that vaccination cards presented by their bearers as proof of having been fully vaccinated are authentic,” Belmonte said.
The possibility of fraud has increased as more and more incentives, such as discounts and free products, are being offered to fully vaccinated individuals.
Vaccination cards are also required for inter-zonal travel by several local government units.
Belmonte proposed that valid photo-bearing identifications of fully vaccinated persons be presented to restaurants, shops and malls along with the cards to ensure that these cards are not passed on to unvaccinated persons in attempts to claim incentives or for travel purposes.
The city government may also affix security seals to the cards of 240,000 fully vaccinated individuals who received their second doses before the rollout of the security seal should they need one.
The first batch will be those who received their second doses in the month of April.
They are requested to proceed to the Century Hall of the Quezon City Memorial Circle from July 12-23, and that priority will be given to those with pending domestic or international travel.
Schedules will then be set for those fully vaccinated in May and June.
Belmonte urged business establishments to take note of the seal-bearing vaccination cards presented to them as valid proof of authenticity, especially when this is presented together with a QCitizen ID or any valid ID.
“We need to promote the safety of everyone by providing other LGUs, airlines, and commercial establishments with evidence of a person’s vaccination status. As we strive to revive the economy, our fully vaccinated QCitizens should be allowed to enjoy more perks for responding to our appeal for inoculation. Hopefully, when the vaccine supply stabilizes, everyone who wants one can get a jab,” she said.
The city government is also pushing for the immediate passage of an ordinance penalizing all vaccine-related fraud, to deter people from selling vaccines or vaccination slots and falsifying vaccination cards.
In Pasay, Mayor Rubiano said her administration is also using the QR code in the issuance of vaccination code through the mobile application pasay.emi.com, making the compilation of the list of vaccinated residents easier.
“You don’t have to write or type details of personal information. That’s the advantage of having the QR code,” said Rubiano. “All you have to do is to scan the QR code to determine the authenticity of the vaccination card.”
Rubiano made the statement in reaction to the appeal of some local government executives to the Inter-Agency Task Force to defer its earlier order that would not require travelers to undergo swab tests if they were already fully vaccinated.
Under the new interzonal travel guidelines issued by the national government, a fully inoculated person need not undergo swab test if he presents a card or a quarantine completion certificate showing the holder’s vaccination status.
The local executives also questioned how the new protocols could be enforced, saying there is no way to validate coronavirus vaccination cards.
Quirino Governor Dakila Cua, who is also the president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, said the local government units were not consulted about the guidelines.
He, instead, demanded that a process that would check the authenticity of vaccination cards must be established first before the IATF order is implemented.
“The simplest is a database that is readily accessible. That is the most useful that the local government units could use,” Cua said.
He said in terms of land transportation, not all QR codes of travellers could be validated on site since not all checkpoints have access to WiFi.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF would discuss the issues related to the new travel and quarantine guidelines, but stressed that for now, local governments should follow them.
Meanwhile, the management of Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) stated it will comply with health protocols set by the government, including the swab test results for fully-vaccinated passengers, should it be required by the local government of its destination.
A passenger is considered fully-vaccinated at least 14 days after having received the second dose in a two-dose series, or at least 14 days after having received a single-dose vaccine.
Among CEB’s destinations, the provinces that are accepting vaccination card as a travel requirement are Negros Occidental province (except Bacolod City), Cauayan City of Isabela province, Cotabato, Tacloban, and Virac.
Virac requires fully-vaccinated individuals to upload their COVID-19 Vaccination Card on their S-PASS account three (3) days before their scheduled trip to secure Approved Travel Coordination Permit. The approved permit and vaccination card will be presented upon check-in.
Surigao and Siargao have recalled their previous order and now require RT-PCR tests from all passengers, even from a fully-vaccinated traveler, after the Department of Health (DOH) said the protocol remains in effect while the local government units and the Inter-Agency Task Force review travel guidelines.
Through the Coca-Cola grant, PRC will support the Department of Health (DOH) in the national COVID-19 vaccination program by establishing PRC-operated Bakuna Centers, supporting local government unit-operated centers with manpower, and deploying the PRC COVID-19 Mobile Vaccine Clinics to over 30 priority areas in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.
The program aims to fully vaccinate over 40,000 vulnerable Filipinos by mobilizing 200 health care professionals.
Also supporting the well-being of Filipinos during the pandemic, The Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines has been providing PPEs as well as food and beverages to vulnerable communities significantly affected by the pandemic.
The foundation’s latest initiative in partnership with K-Coop and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Project Karinderya, has fed over 1,000 families since the start of the year while helping revive small eateries.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has and is continuing to affect every Filipino, which is why it’s important that we provide continuous support to communities through relevant programs that help with their immediate needs,” said Antonio “Tony” del Rosario, Coca-Cola Philippines President and Vice President for Franchise Operations of Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific-East Asia Region (Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines).
“Since last year, we have not wavered in our commitment to be there for the people we serve, and we’ll continue to be here to support where we can,” he added.
Since the country was placed in lockdown on March 2020, Coca-Cola took to action by placing on hold and reallocating their advertising budget for relief and response efforts.
Despite the pandemic, Coca-Cola Philippines continues to support livelihood and financial assistance to Filipino communities through multi-stakeholder partnership initiatives.
Among these are the ReSTART program, in partnership with DTI and TESDA, which provided a P184-million bridge loan fund for sari-sari and carinderia store owners.
The company also partnered with OWWA for the OFW Rise Program. The partnership is targeting 10,000 returning OFWs to start their own businesses through livelihood and entrepreneurial programs, including the opportunity to become distributors, wholesalers, or community resellers for Coca- Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. (CCBPI), the bottling partner of Coca-Cola.
“Our goal is to provide pandemic-stricken Filipinos with income-generating and livelihood opportunities so they can continue to provide for their families and have enough for their daily needs, as we all work together to help revive the Philippine economy,” said Gareth McGeown, CCBPI President and CEO.
Aside from the ongoing support to communities and other recovery programs, Coca-Cola still has its people at the heart of their business and their safety continues to be a priority. The company has procured vaccines for all employees who wish to be vaccinated.