PH recognizes vax certificates of 15 more countries

MANILA – Malacañang on Friday said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the proposal to recognize the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine certificates of 15 more countries.

In a Palace briefing, Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved this based on the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) recommendation.

The Philippines will start recognizing Covid-19 vaccination certificates from the following countries — Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, Indonesia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Syria, and the Chinese semi-autonomous region of Macau.

Nograles said the national Covid-19 vaccination certificates of these countries and territories were accepted “for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols, as well as for interzonal/intrazonal movement.”

He said the IATF directed the Bureau of Quarantine, the Department of Transportation – One-Stop-Shop, and the Bureau of Immigration to recognize proofs of vaccination of nationals from the 15 countries.

The IATF earlier approved the recommendation of the DFA to recognize the national Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued by Malaysia and Ireland.