Stressing that it would serve as the “wheelchair” for their disabled industry, Restaurant Owners of the Philippines (Resto PH) group President Eric Teng on Monday expressed support to a Senate bill seeking to create a vaccine passport program.
During the Senate Committee on Finance, joint with Health and Demography, Teng stressed that Covid-19 has disabled businesses and that the vaccine passport will be a safer way to “manage our doors.”
“Indeed a vaccine passport will be a vital safety wheelchair for our disabled industry. We are eager to help and be part of the government’s application of the new vaccine passport system,” Teng said, adding that as a sector they are one with the nation in living with Covid, allowing even cautiously reopening of their sector “while we, as a nation, and civil society endeavor to save lives.”
During the discussion, Sen. Pia S. Cayetano noted that vaccine passports are currently being used by other countries to open up their economy.
The Senate bill, which was introduced by Cayetano, Senators Franklin Drilon and Sonny Angara, has cited that world wide, several countries, such as Brunei, Canada, China, countries in the European Union (EU), the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, have implemented their vaccine passport/card/certificate programs to “facilitate safer transborder travels given that international and, in some instances, local travel remain highly restrictive.”
Cayetano stressed that the vaccine passport shall serve as “proof” that a person has been vaccinated and may allow them benefits or exemptions from restrictions to be determined by the lnter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
She added that this would help reopen the economy by allowing mobility and encourage others to get vaccinated.
Likewise, inbound quarantine regulations, which provide different rules for individuals depending on their vaccination status, have been put into effect by several countries as well.
“Because of this, there are reports that a global system for the international recognition and validation of vaccine passports is under development,” Cayetano said.
A vaccine passport, the bill stressed, also helps to open businesses and establishments, restarting economic and cultural activity.
“Expanding on the Covid-19 vaccine cards provided in Section 12 of Republic Act 11525 or the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, a Vaccine Passport Program can help facilitate the country’s vaccination efforts,” the bill stated.
The bill shall further provide the government with a means to monitor distribution of the vaccines, including post-market surveillance. Having a Vaccine Passport is proof that an individual has received the vaccines, and may allow him/her benefits or exemptions from Covid-19 restrictions as may be provided by the IATF.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes