SP MOVES TO DETER VACCINATION CARD FRAUD
By: Rhea Matilde A. Ballesteros, GPC-SP | Photos By: Mark Andrew G. Sanchez, SP | Date: August 17, 2021
Dr. Dan William Dacanay, Vaccination Program Operations Manager explains the process and the steps being done with regards to the registration of vaccination cards in the province during the 112th Regular Session of the 22nd Sangguniang Panlalawigan on August 17, 2021. The vaccination card being issued has unique identifiers that would enable the Provincial Health Office (PHO) to identify or catalog those who were already vaccinated and those who are vaccine shopping will be detected.
SP also awarded Certificates of Recognition to Dr. Eduardo S. Posadas, Provincial Health Officer; Dr. Dan William Dacanay, Vaccination Program Operations Manager; and Mr. Gerry D. Binas-o, Information and Communications Technology Unit Head for serving as Resource Speakers in said session.
To strengthen La Union’s Bakuna Muna Program, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) moves to ensure that the vaccination card issued by the province will not be tampered. The 22nd SP invited Dr. Eduardo S. Posadas, Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Dan William Dacanay, Vaccination Program Operations Manager and Mr. Gerry D. Binas-o, Information and Communications Technology Unit Head during the Question Hour on its 112th Regular Session on August 17, 2021 relative to the plans or activities of the province that are being conducted towards getting the vaccination cards being authenticated, which could be used in aid of legislation. This comes after Board Member Nancy Corazon M. Bacurnay, through a Privilege Speech, requested the body to inquire and to address the issue.
During the session, Dr. Dacanay explained the process and the steps being done with regards to the registration of vaccination cards. He said that the vaccination card being issued has unique identifiers that would enable the Provincial Health Office (PHO) to identify or catalog those who were already vaccinated and those who are vaccine shopping will be detected. He also said that the vaccination certificate issued by the PHO is compliant with the data requirements of the Department of Health and it is QR Coded. The QR code provides a link to verify if the certificate is authentic. However, the verification mechanism operates only within the province and it is temporarily awaiting the implementation of a centralized vaccination certification system by the national government through the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gerry Binas-o of the ICTU presented the La Union CoViD-19 Vaccination System (LUCOVACS), an automated information system for the CoViD-19 Vaccination Program of the PGLU which is the comprehensive management and monitoring system in tracking the eligible and non-eligible vaccinees. He explained the features of the system and how it will work as a verifying mechanism for the vaccination status of individuals in the province.
The members of the SP suggested for the unification of the NAPANAM contact tracing app with the vaccination system and the inclusion of photo in the system or cards to avoid fraud and ensure that the card is not passed on to other persons.
Given the information of the possibility of fraud and in compliance to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) advisory dated July 16, 2021, the SP is pushing for the enactment of an ordinance penalizing those who tamper or forge authentic vaccination cards as well as those who present the same to deter falsification.
