Wisma Putra has announced that seven Malaysians who were stranded at Ninoy Aquino International Airport have been allowed to enter the Philippines. At the same time, the Philippines has updated its entry, testing, and quarantine protocols which now recognises Malaysia’s MySejahtera digital vaccine certificate. On Sunday, several Malaysians were not permitted to enter the republic as the Philippines do not accept MySejahtera as proof of vaccination.
Alhamdulillah, dimaklumkan warga Malaysia yang terkandas di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Ninoy Aquino sejak semalam telah dibenarkan memasuki Filipina petang tadi susulan tindakan Kedutaan Malaysia di Manila @myembassymanila. https://t.co/srIPIrhYfi
— Saifuddin Abdullah 🇲🇾 (@saifuddinabd) February 14, 2022
The Embassy of the Philippines in Malaysia has uploaded the latest protocols for Entry, Testing and Quarantine for Foreign Nationals Arriving in the Philippines this evening (14th February 2022, 8pm) which now accepts MySejahtera’s vaccine certificate. It states, “Per IATF Resolution No. 161, the national COVID-19 vaccination certificate of Malaysia shall be accepted/recognized for purposes of arrival quarantine protocol”.
The Resolution No.161 document states: “Now, therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved, that upon the recommendations of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the national COVID-19 vaccination certificate of the following countries, namely Malaysia and Republic of Ireland, shall be accepted/recognized for the purpose of arrival quarantine protocols as well as for interzonal/intrazonal movement.”
According to the previous Entry, Testing and Quarantine Protocols published on 9th February 2022, it states that “The Philippines and Malaysia are still in discussions on a mutual recognition agreement of the VaxCertPH and the MySejahtera Digital Certificate.” It added, “For foreign nationals who entered the Philippines visa-free and whose vaccination certificates cannot be verified by Philippine authorities, they shall be denied admission immediately.”
Foreigners entering the Philippines must be fully vaccinated with a vaccine that has been approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration or has Emergency Use Listing of the World Health Organisation (WHO). It states that they only recognise proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in the form of a WHO International Certificates of Vaccination and Prophylaxis, VaxCertPH, National/state digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement, or other proof of vaccination that’s permitted by the IATF.
With more countries reopening borders and if you plan to travel overseas, it is highly recommended that you check for the latest entry requirements by the respective governments. Border controls are subject to changes due to the ongoing developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. In case you missed it, you can print out a PDF copy of the MySejahtera digital vaccine certificate, and here’s how you can do it.
