LGUs urged to fast-tack uploading of data into VIMS
WITH the soft launch of the VaxCertPH program in the National Capital Region (NCR) this month, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging all local government units (LGUs) to fast track the uploading of complete and accurate data into the DICT’s Vaccine Information Management System (VIMS) to enable fully vaccinated individuals to secure their digital vaccination certificates.
“VaxCertPH is an important tool for the issuance of digital vaccination certificates for those who have already completed their COVID-19 doses in the country. LGUs should, therefore, ensure that they input accurate data to the VIMS within 24 hours from vaccination,” said DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
He said that the digital certificates to be issued under VaxCertPH will serve as proof for Filipinos and non-Filipinos who were vaccinated in the Philippines who plan to travel outside the country or return from overseas, addressing the need for countries that may require a vaccine certification issued by the Philippine Department of Health upon entry.
Currently on soft-launch, VaxCertPH is initially available only to OFWs and foreign travellers in Metro Manila. It will be launched nationwide after the NCR pilot period.
Some 20.9 Million Filipinos have already been fully vaccinated with a Covid 19 vaccine which corresponds to 27.1% of the country’s eligible population. In the National Capital Region, 5.1 Million have been fully vaccinated which is 52.37% of the region’s eligible population while 8,261,461 (85.50%) has received at least one dose.
Developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for the Department of Health (DOH), VaxCertPH is “self-service web portal” that utilizes the vaccination data submitted by LGUs through the VIMS. It has a request and creation feature of the COVID-19 Digital Vaccination Certificate; generates a QR (Quick Response) code that authenticates the certificate; and it has a request feature where clients can request for updating of records if there is incorrect vaccination details or missing information.
According to Año, VaxCertPH complies with the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the Digital Documentation of COVID-19 Certificate (DDC).
He said that under the program, LGUs should recognize and implement the VaxCertPH as the official proof of vaccination for local travels and assign or designate an LGU coordinator to answer inquiries and resolve record-related issues of vaccinations
The DILG earlier issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2021-095, enjoining local chief executives (LCEs), DILG Regional Directors (RDs), and the Minister for the Local Government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to actively participate and support the trainings conducted by the DICT about VaxCertPH.
Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11525, otherwise known as the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, the DOH is tasked to issue COVID-19 vaccine cards to all persons who have gotten inoculated. The DICT, in coordination with the DOH and DILG, was tasked to form a digital process that would certify that a person has been vaccinated in the country.
