A UNIFIED platform is being developed to transition the One Health Pass to the electronic Arrival Card (eArrival Card), with a view to streamlining arrival requirements for travelers, the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said.
The DOH said the move is pursuant to the recommendations of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) and is done in cooperation with the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and with the support of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Bureau of Immigration (BI).
“The DOH, through the close monitoring and coordination of the BOQ with other agencies, aims to alleviate our kababayans and inbound travelers from the stress and inconvenience of international travel,” Health Regulation Team Officer-In-Charge Undersecretary Charade Mercado-Grande said.
Through the eArrival Card, the government wants to make processing easier and faster while maintaining health regulation and monitoring, she said.
For her part, DOH Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they expect to reduce delays and eliminate inconvenience for travelers through the eArrival Card.
“We likewise aim to support the tourism sector in the country while ensuring the health and safety of both foreign and Filipino travelers.” said Vergeire.
Inbound travelers to the Philippines can now fill out the eArrival Card within 72 hours prior to departure to avoid inconvenience upon arrival. Pre-registration to the eArrival platform will be mandatory starting November 1, 2022.
Following discussions to rationalize the required data and information in the forms, only travel details, profile, and health declarations will be requested. After registration, a QR code is then generated as a “scan and go” mechanism to reduce processing time at points of entry.
The eArrival Card is free of charge for all travelers and may be temporarily accessed through the official web site onehealthpass.com.ph pending the launch of the new platform and website and its shift to the official government domain.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes