Manila Economic and Cultural Office Philippine Representative Office in Taiwan
Fully-vaccinated Taiwanese nationals who bear Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued by the government of Taiwan will no longer have to quarantine upon their arrival in the Philippines, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) said.
This comes after the IATF Head of Secretariat and Health Undersecretary Charade Mercado-Grande confirmed the acceptance and recognition of Taiwanese vaccination certificates in a letter addressed to Manila Economic and Cultural Office Chairperson and Resident Representative Willie Fernandez dated 11 March.
Mercado-Grande said the matter was taken up during the country’s pandemic task force meeting held on 10 March 2022 via videoconference, wherein the IATF resolved to accept and recognize vaccination certificates issued by Taiwan.
“This acceptance and recognition shall be in addition to such other countries/territories/ jurisdictions whose proof of vaccination the IATF has already approved for recognition in the Philippines, and without prejudice to such other proofs of vaccination approved by IATF for all inbound travelers,” the letter read.
In the same letter, the IATF said the country’s implementing agencies, such as the Department of Transportation One-Stop-Shop, Bureau of Quarantine and Bureau of Immigration, have already been directed to recognize only the proof of vaccination that was approved by the task force.
The IATF requested Fernandez to notify the Taiwanese government of the acceptance/recognition of vaccine certificates issued by Taiwan.
The resolution to accept Taiwan-issued vaccination cards came after Taiwanese nationals complained they still had to be quarantined upon arrival in the Philippines because it did not recognize their vaccination certificates.
Last month, the government announced its decision to lift a nearly two-year ban on foreign tourists and allow travelers who hold a certificate of vaccination and test negative for the virus to enter the country without needing to be quarantined.
source: by Jom Garner