Lawmakers recently filed a resolution directing the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs to look into the Bureau of Quarantine’s contract with PisoPay for the issuance of the international vaccine certificate (IVC) as well as the fees being charged for the issuance of said IVC.
In House Resolution 2198, 32 lawmakers said it appears that in order to obtain the vaccine certificate, Filipinos need to book an appointment through the Bureau of Quarantine website, and pay P300 for the issuance of the said certificate plus a convenience fee of P70.
Lawmakers said the Philippines began vaccinating qualified individuals against COVID-19 in March 2021.
They also noted that under Section 12 of Republic Act No. 11525 or COVID-19 Vaccination Program of 2021, the DOH was tasked to issue vaccination cards to all person vaccinated against COVID-19.
But the lawmakers said under Section 12 of the same law, the issuance, amendment, or replacement of the vaccine card shall be free of charge.
The Bureau of Quarantine was tasked with issuing the international vaccine certification or yellow card for as proof of vaccination against COVID-19 which some countries would accept as proof of vaccination.
According to the lawmawker, it appears that the Bureau of Quarantine partnered with a FinTech company called PisoPay to receive the payment for the issuance of the certificate, a company incorporated in 2017, with BSP license to act as a remittance agent issued in 2019, and not wholly-owned by Filipinos.
“There is a need for more transparency and more government information as to the the Bureau of Quarantine’s charging for the issuance of the IVC in view of existing laws on the matter,” the solons said in their resolution.
In order to expedite the vaccination process, lawmakers said the DOH was authorized to delegate the issuance and processing of vaccination cards to local government units (LGUs) and private entities.
“The delegation of the authority to issue and process vaccine cards to the LGUs has resulted in the lack of uniformity in the appearance and contents of the vaccination cards,” they said.
“This lack of uniformity in the vaccination cards was reported as the reason for other countries’ refusal to recognize vaccine cards from the Philippines as proof of vaccination, thereby adding another obstacle to the return to work of our overseas Foreign workers (OFWs),” lawmakers added.
Among the authors of the resolution are Reps. Sharon Garin, Jesus Suntay, Estrelita Suansing, Francisco Benitez, Juan Miguel Arroyo, Stella Quimbo, Joey Salceda, Weslie Gatchalian and Florida Robes.