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MANILA – Confirmatory swab tests will no longer be required for fully vaccinated tourists visiting Boracay starting November 16, Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores said Friday.

Guests will still need to present proof of vaccination upon arrival on the island, the governor said.

“I’m happy to report na by November 16, next week, tatanggalin na namin yung requirement ng RT-PCR test sa mga lahat na pumupunta ng Boracay,” he said.

“Ang kailangan na lang, kung kumuha sila ng QR code nila, ang kailangan na lang, instead ng RT-PCR test na nire-require namin, magsa-submit na lang sila ng vaccination certificate or VaxCertPH under the (Department of Information and Communications Technology) website, o kung mahirapan sila kumuha niyan, yung kanilang vaccination card na may QR code galing sa issuing (local government unit),” he added.

“In the absence ng dalawang iyan, pwede rin silang kumuha ng vaccination certificate sa issuing LGU para makita namin kung saan talaga sila nagpabakuna.”

Miraflores stressed that those who are not vaccinated, or those who have only had one dose of a two-dose jab regime still need to have a negative RT-PCR test result.

He said that they have systems in place to ensure that those who present fake vaccination certificates will be caught.

“Meron naman tayon validating team d'yan, kagaya ng pag-validate natin ng RT-PCR test,” Miraflores stressed.

“Kaya nga 'yung nire-require natin na vaccination certificate ay 'yung galing sa DICT, 'yung VaxCert natin, kasa madali natin 'yon i-verify. In the absence of that 'yung vaccination card na may QR code na issue ng LGU for example like Makati or Manila na may vaccination card pero meron sila dapat na QR code, madali lang natin yan ma-verify.”

“Or kung wala yan, 'yung vaccination certificate kasi na nakukuha natin sa LGU, pwede din nating ma-verify 'yan kasi madali nating matawagan 'yung mga LGU na nag-issue niyan.”

“So gaya din ng ginagawa natin sa mga RT-PCR test na pagve-verify natin, so madali pa rin natin mahuhuli yan kung sino namemeke ng mga vaccination certificates,” he explained.

Miraflores noted that 94 percent of tourism workers in Boracay are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Sa atin namang general population, 94 percent ang nakakuha ng first dose, at ang naka-second dose is 70 percent. So nakuha na namin ang herd immunity ng general population ng isla ng Boracay,” he said.

“So tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang aming vaccination program dito, para makuha talaga namin yung 100 percent vaccination rate ng aming isla ng Boracay.”

--TeleRadyo, 12 November 2021