SM Supermalls has inked a deal with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to become the first official venue partner of the digital vaccination certificate program, VAXCertPH, during its launch in SM City Clark last October 4.
Present during the Memorandum of Agreement signing were SM Supermalls Steven Tan; presidential spokesperson Harry Roque; Health Secretary Francisco Duque; National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 Chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.; NTF DCI testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon; DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya; DICT Undersecretary Manny Caintic; MMDA chair Benhur Abalos, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr.; and, Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo.
“The VAXCertPH initiative will be very helpful to our fellow Filipinos, especially the OFWs and international travelers, as this certification can be used when going abroad. We at SM are pleased to be of service in making the vaccine certification records more accessible to Filipinos nationwide,” said Tan during his opening remarks.
VaxCertPH is a program initiative of the DILG and DOH that will provide Filipinos with a digital vaccine certificate verified as authentic by their respective LGU’s database.
The program was designed to address the lack of uniformity in certificates that indicate a person’s vaccination status.
The mobile app and portal for the issuance of digital vaccination certificates were developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Under the partnership, SM is set to provide an area within its 76 malls nationwide dedicated to the VAXCertPH booths which will be manned by LGU representatives. SM will also be assisting the government agencies in informing the public of the VAXCertPH initiative through its marketing materials, online announcements, and traditional media.
“We are proud to be the country’s single biggest vaccination center, as well as a venue for COMELEC registration, a safe place where you can get your National ID, passports, and business permits. We also provide drive-through Covid testing centers in over ten of our malls across the country. As a good citizen, we are always – as our Supermarkets say – ‘HAPPY TO SERVE,’” Tan furthered.
To date, SM has already administered over four million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in its multi-mall vaccination drive. The government has reported that over 21 million persons have so far been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country.
