One Health Pass was originally created during the pandemic when the country was facing a huge number of cases every day. However, as the world slowly recovers from the drastic effects of the pandemic, there were suggestions that the OHP should be removed.
Senator Nancy Binay called for the removal of One Health Pass (OHP) in the midst of all the complaints about it. There were complaints regarding its screening system.
“Dapat i-lift na natin ang One Health Pass dahil hindi na rin ito nagiging praktikal at mas nagiging inconvenient ito para sa nakararami. Mas malaking hassle sa ating mga OFW at balikbayan dahil dagdag na screening kahit quarantine-cleared at kumpleto sila sa bakuna at boosters,” says Binay.
“From the tourism lens, we might be turning away potential guests because of this added bureaucratic layer whose effectiveness isn’t even guaranteed,” she added.
Binay, who is the chair of the Senate committee on tourism, said that the Department of Tourism should make amendments so the number of tourists visiting the country will rise.
It can be recalled that the Bureau of Quarantine implemented the use of OHP and it became mandatory following the strict implementation of the COVID-19 protocol for international travelers.
Moreover, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) were able to encounter some problems when it comes to the verification process of OHP, resulting in long lines in airports.
Aside from the possibility of Data Breach, OHP is the root of several scams. The government continues to give precautionary measures over these fake websites allegedly issuing fake passes.
“Minsan, nakakatulong din naman na sumunod tayo sa trends. Other countries, even our ASEAN neighbors, are already liberalizing and rationalizing their entry processes. If they come from cities that have a high vaccination rate, there is no reason why we must be stricter, especially against other countries that have better vaccination rates than us,” said Binay.
