MANILA, Philippines鈥擜s the country moves on to another milestone in its vaccination campaign against COVID-19鈥攂ooster shots for health care workers, immunocompromised and senior citizens鈥攙accine recipients are facing a setback, this time with their vaccination certificates.
During the past weeks, several netizens have shared grievances over their experience in securing their vaccine certificate through VaxCertPH鈥攖he country鈥檚 vaccine certificate system being managed by the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and Department of Health (DOH).
According to DICT, VaxCertPH serves as a 鈥渇ree, self-service portal that can be accessed through https://vaxcert.doh.gov.ph where vaccinated citizens may acquire a copy of their VaxCertPH certificate.鈥�
鈥淭he VaxCertPH certificate is used to represent the COVID-19 vaccination status of a citizen of the Philippines and non-Filipino citizens vaccinated in the Philippines,鈥� the DICT added.
The certificate can also be considered proof of vaccination for international travel since it complies with the digital guidelines issued by World Health Organization (WHO)鈥攗nlike vaccination cards issued by different local government units (LGUs), which are also valid.
READ: EXPLAINER: What is VaxCertPH? A guide for the vaccinated
In October, Malaca帽ang announced that VaxCertPH would start accepting requests for digital vaccine certificates.
READ: VaxCertPH to accept digital vaccination certificate requests for domestic use
Launched in September, over 138,000 digital COVID vaccination certificates had already been issued that month, but many who wish to get theirs are faced with delays in the VaxCertPH system. Many, however, may not yet be aware that the VaxCertPH portal is currently available only to users in National Capital Region and Baguio City.
READ: 138,000 digital COVID-19 vax certificates issued so far 鈥� DICT exec
Graphic by Ed Lustan
Common complaints and issues
One of the common complaints posted online was the alleged time-consuming process of getting a digital vaccine certificate through VaxCertPH, which takes weeks to complete for others.
Twitter user @itsJayEMD shared this experience.
鈥淎fter weeks of applying/reapplying and consistent emails and follow-ups, I finally secured my Vaccination Certificate from VaxCert PH,鈥� the Twitter user posted on Nov. 24.
After weeks of applying/reapplying and consistent emails and follow-ups, I finally secured my Vaccination Certificate from VaxCert PH.
To some who are planning to double-check or secure the copy, visit
鈥� Sascha Garcia, MD 馃巰 (@itsJayEMD)
The Twitter user, who is also a licensed physician, also advised the public to have backup pictures of their vaccination cards and government-issued IDs in case their vaccination data are not yet encoded in the VaxCertPH鈥檚 database or if any discrepancies need to be addressed.
According to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section in the VaxCertPH鈥檚 website, fully vaccinated individuals can generate their VaxCertPH certificate 鈥渋nstantly鈥濃€攂ut if their records are found.
Those who are newly vaccinated can request their VaxCertPH certificate 48 hours after getting their second dose.
鈥淵ou will not currently be able to request for your certificate if you have only received the first dose,鈥� the VaxCertPH website stated.
Those who got a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson鈥檚 Janssen, may request certification 48 hours after vaccination.
Twitter user @imnotpeople shared issues she experienced with her VaxCertPH record after finding out that some pieces of her parents鈥� vaccination information were not encoded in the system.
鈥淍DOHgovph after a week, I checked again if my parents鈥� #vaxcertph are up since they completed their doses last July 2021. Thankfully they鈥檝e been registered, but the encoded info triggers me鈥︹€� the Twitter user wrote in a post last Nov. 23.
鈥淵es, there is an option to update and it鈥檚 ok if the names are misspelled, or the birth dates are wrong but to have #NORECORDS for 1st and 2nd doses? Are you okay?鈥� the Twitter user said partly in Filipino.
鈥淔eed your encoders. Please improve the encoding. It can鈥檛 always be like this. We have to do better. We鈥檙e also tired,鈥� another Twitter post read.
after a week, I checked again if my parents' are up since they completed their doses last July 2021. Thankfully theyve been registered, but the encoded info triggers me, OPO MAY UPDATE OPTION at OK LANG IF NA MISSPELL YUNG NAMES OR
鈥� Anj馃尰馃挏 #FreePalestine馃嚨馃嚫 (@imnotpeople)
In a separate tweet, the user posted an image of a VaxCertPH record, which indicated that there was 鈥淣o Record鈥� found for the person鈥檚 first vaccine brand and first dose, while the information for the second vaccine brand and the second dose was already there.
Now I have wasted my time correcting the records.
鈥� Anj馃尰馃挏 #FreePalestine馃嚨馃嚫 (@imnotpeople)
鈥淣ow I have wasted my time correcting the records,鈥� the Twitter user wrote, tagging the DOH鈥檚 official Twitter account.
Based on guidelines issued on the FAQs section of the VaxCertPH鈥檚 website, those who have vaccination records that have been incorrectly encoded should click 鈥淯pdate record鈥� to begin the process of correction.
They will then be required to upload a photo of their vaccination card and government-issued ID. Details like email addresses and contact numbers are also needed.
鈥淵our request will be forwarded to the LGU where you received your vaccination so they can validate and rectify your vaccination records.鈥�
鈥淵ou will be notified through your email address or contact number once your request is completed and you may try requesting again your VaxCertPH through the website.鈥�
VaxCertPH booths
To help address inquiries and concerns on VaxCertPH, several VaxCertPH booths have been set up in different sites鈥攍ike malls and city halls鈥攕cattered around Metro Manila.
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However, one netizen said the VaxCertPH booth 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 have access to anything鈥� and 鈥渃an only do whatever you already did [use] the VaxCertPH website.鈥�
鈥淪o. My colleague can鈥檛 retrieve his vax cert from the VaxCertPH site. He鈥檚 tried uploading his info and following up with them using his reference no. Still, nothing. So I asked him to try using the VaxCert booth in malls to help him verify or at least check what went wrong,鈥� Twitter user @the3threetres posted on Nov. 19.
鈥淭urns out, VaxCertPH booth doesn鈥檛 have access to anything and can only do whatever you already did using the VaxCertPH website. In short, HOLYFUCKINGCHRIST, it鈥檚 useless! A spot in the mall at that! OMFG! What a waste of taxpayers鈥� money!鈥� the Twitter user added.
So. My colleague can't retrieve his vax cert from the VaxCertPH site. He's tried uploading his info and following up with them using his reference no. Still, nothing. So I asked him to try using the VaxCert booth in malls to help him verify or at least check what went wrong. 1/2
鈥� d'3锔忊儯馃涓� 銉火焽叼焽兓馃嚨馃嚫 (@the3threetres)
LGUs and backlogs
The backlogs of LGUs uploading vaccination data of their constituents is a significant factor behind the issues with VaxCertPH, according to DICT Undersecretary Manny Caintic.
鈥淚 call on the LGUs. The reason why there are problems in getting VaxCert is because of the unorganized and incomplete uploading of records of the people they vaccinated in their jurisdictions,鈥� Caintic said, speaking partly in Filipino, during a Laging Handa press briefing on Nov. 15.
鈥淭he huge cause is on the data encoding. [The LGUs] already have the data but it is not yet submitted to the system to be uploaded. Our LGUs have at least 30 percent backlogs,鈥� Caintic added.
However, he said DICT understands the LGUs despite their backlogs and that the department gives the LGUs at least five days to upload their new data.
鈥淲e are not mad. We understand our LGUs. First of all, it鈥檚 difficult to vaccinate people and find ways to expedite our vaccination progress,鈥� he said.
Still, Caintic urged LGUs to hire or encourage volunteers to help encode data in the VaxCertPH system and reduce the backlog.
鈥淲e encourage the public to help our LGUs. We need more data encoders. It鈥檚 really hard to find data encoders because, first of all, we need to feed them and give them incentives,鈥� the undersecretary said.
However, among Metro Manila LGUs, Caintic said the city government of Manila had the highest submission rate鈥�100 percent.
He added that some cities had a 100 percent submission rate. If ever there were issues on data submission by these LGUs, these were primarily just for rectifications or corrections of minor data errors.
Steps taken
To help LGUs with their data encoding backlogs, Caintic said the DICT will open slots for data encoders who can be assigned to different LGUs.
鈥淲e will post signup sheets for data encoders who we can assign in different LGUs, especially for the upcoming important activity this November 29 to December 1,鈥� said Caintic referring to the three-day national vaccination campaign.
鈥淲e will need almost 50,000 data encoders to help our LGUs, especially on areas that lack data encoders,鈥� he added.
READ: DICT: 50,000 more data encoders needed for 3-day nat鈥檒 vaccination drive
In a separate Laging Handa press briefing, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) would open its internship programs to help hire additional encoders.
鈥淥ur problem with the encoding of vaccination data is the problem of a sufficient number of encoders. As our vaccination rate increases, we need more encoders to be encoding the vaccination list that is sent to DICT and DOH,鈥� Malaya said on Nov. 17.
In NCR, Malaya said, the DOLE would open 100 slots for encoders to be deployed to different LGUs that need them.
鈥淭his time, we will use the government internship program of DOLE to help the LGUs increase their encoders and resolve their backlogs,鈥� Malaya said.
Still on initial rollout
Amid issues regarding missing and erroneous data, the DICT clarified that the VaxCertPH is available only for NCR or Baguio residents.
Unfortunately, Twitter user @abiortiz20 discovered this only after trying three times to generate her digital vaccine certificate.
鈥淚 tried to generate my #vaxcertph for 3x already and my record was not on their website,鈥� the Twitter user said in a post on Nov. 19.
鈥淪o I checked the FAQs of https://vaxcert.doh.gov.ph and saw this information. So vaxcert can be generated if you had your vax in NCR. WHAT A JOKE!鈥� the post read. (This tweet has been deleted already)
According to Caintic, the government will not yet roll out the registration system nationwide because it focuses on issuing digital vaccine certificates for those planning to leave the country.
He said LGUs should focus on encoding data for those who will travel abroad 鈥渂ecause they鈥檙e the ones who need it most.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 not congest [the website]. Let鈥檚 not add pressure to our LGUs,鈥� he added.
Caintic advised the public to check the travel requirements of their destinations before getting their digital vaccination certificate.
鈥淚 would like to clarify that our ports of exit will not forbid you from leaving [without a digital vaccination certificate]. You will need your vaxcert for your destination,鈥� he said.
Graphic by Ed Lustan
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it is important to check first and know if the area you鈥檙e going to will ask for a digital vaccine certificate,鈥� he added.
Caintic said some LGUs already require travelers鈥� digital vaccination certificates instead of RT-PCR test results for domestic travel.
鈥淪ome LGUs require vaxcerts instead of RT-PCR test. This is a big deal because we all know that it is costly to undergo RT-PCR testing,鈥� Caintic said.
Beware of fixers
The DICT undersecretary likewise told the public to report fixers who will help register for VaxCertPH in exchange for cash.
鈥淸The digital vaccination certificate] is free. We will not ask for any payment. Our vaccines are free, so it is just right to get our vaxcert for free,鈥� said Caintic.
鈥淩eport to us if you encounter fixers who claim to fix and process your vaxcerts [for a price]. You don鈥檛 need to pay for your vaxcert,鈥� he added.