Dabawenyos soon to get digital vax certificate

Fully vaccinated Dabawenyos will soon be able to secure digital vaccination certificates as the national government targets to roll out the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate or VaxCertPH program, an online portal, on September 30 to other regions.

COVID-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser, during Tuesday’s interview, bared that after the soft-launching of the VaxCertPH program in Metro Manila and Baguio City, which was initially available only to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign travelers, the national government is set to launch it in other areas, including Davao City.

Schlosser said that the Davao City Information Technology Center (CITC) is working closely with the national government to set the launching of the program nationwide before September ends. 

The LGUs are tasked to submit the list of vaccinees through the Vaccine Information Management System (VIMS). The online portal was developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for the Department of Health (DOH).

Data from the Davao City Vaccination shows that as of September 16, there are now a total of 433,478 fully vaccinated Dabawenyos while 677,415 have already received their first dose. The City Government targets to inoculate around 1.2 million of the city’s 1.8 million population.

The vaccination certificate is purposely for those who are planning to travel abroad as countries are now requiring people entering their country to be fully vaccinated. The certificate will serve as proof that an individual has completed the required doses.

“Ang vaccination certificate very needed kaayo ni siya when you travel especially sa mga OFWs. Naa tay mga countries that are requiring vaccination, fully vaccinated individuals. Moa jud ang pinaka-purpose ani niya (The vaccination certificates are very important when you travel abroad, especially for the OFWs. Some countries are requiring travelers to be fully vaccinated. That’s the main purpose of the certificates),” she said.

She added, “Also, we would want nga ma-access gyud siya sa bawat individual if they want a certificate whether traveling sila or dili. Again, the final rollout to other LGUs outside sa initial nga na-launch will be on September 30 (We would want the online platform to be accessible to the public, traveling or not. Again, the final rollout of the program to other LGUs will be on September 30).”

The Davao COVID-19 Task Force official said that the unified digital certificate will help address the rampant proliferation of counterfeit vaccination cards as it indicates a unique nine-digit number that stands as the Certificate ID number. It also contains the individual’s personal information and the holder’s vaccination status.

In an earlier radio interview on Monday, September 20, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte asserted that the city is now working hand-in-hand with the DITC to iron out the program before it can be made available to the general public.

“Naay second pilot ang Vax Certificate, and apil ang Davao City. Ang atong City Information Technology Center (CITC) is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for this (There is a second pilot for the VaxCertPH and Davao City is part of it. Our CITC is working with the DICT for this),” Duterte said.CIO