What makes easing of travel restrictions difficult?
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) against COVID-19 recently announced one of the biggest incentives for fully vaccinated individuals. This is the presentation of a COVID-19 domestic vaccination card or a certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status as “sufficient alternatives” to any testing requirement – before travel or upon arrival – that the local government of destination may require.
Intrazonal travel would have been a welcomed incentive among those who are fully vaccinated. This could have enticed people who still have lingering doubts about the COVID-19 vaccination.
However, the local government units (LGUs) have qualms about following the new policy owing from their experience that some travelers who visited or came home to their localities presented fake RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen Test results. With the use of vaccination cards issued by different LGUs in place of test results, the LGUs at the frontline of border control in their respective jurisdiction fear the proliferation of fake vaccination cards. Validating more than 1,600 vaccination cards issued by 146 cities and 1,488 municipalities all over the country is a daunting task, not to mention the lack of means to validate all these LGU-issued vaccination cards.
As this develops, the country’s poor ICT infrastructure has been brought to the fore. The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP)calls for a centralized database for individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 after the national government eased inter-zonal or cross-border travel restrictions. This reminds us again of the much-delayed national ID system, which could have provided the database needed by the LGUs. Although the processing and issuance of national ID have recently gained traction, we are still far away from the envisioned digitally inclusive society.
Fully vaccinated individuals may have to withhold their excitement for hassle-free travel for the time being as the LGUs still need to be equipped with a fool-proof centralized vaccination database. The need for a centralized database and verification system is an urgent and pressing concern.
The proliferation of fake test results, while inherently wrong, should not be condemned and dismissed outright as a devious act resulting from a criminal mind. Beyond punishment, authorities should realize that this is a strong indication that the travel restrictions imposed for more than a year are becoming unbearable to ordinary citizens who do not have the money for expensive travel.
The government’s response should not be focused solely on keeping the COVID-19 statistics down at the expense of people’s jobs and means of livelihood, education, and other needs. According to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, policy responses to this pandemic must include protecting people and societies, not just from COVID-19, but also from loss of livelihood, poor education, lack of access to health care facilities. More importantly, the interventions should enhance the personal security of women and children and actions supporting vulnerable workers, small businesses, communities, and regions left behind.