The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said its unified vaccination certificate will be formally launched by August once all local government units (LGUs) submit their data by the end of the month.

During the "Laging Handa" public briefing, Undersecretary Manny Caintic said LGUs were given until July 31 to upload their vaccination data in the Vaccine Information Management System.

"By August, early August, we can launch our vaccine certificate so that if someone requests for a vaccine certificate, their records will be there," he said.

The private companies that inoculated their own employees and their families have to submit their respective lists of vacinees to their respective LGUs.

In case that a vaccinated person's record is not included, Caintic said there will be a grievance mechanism in the LGUs to handle the concern.

Caintic assured that the DICT will use a system that is in accordance with international standards with public key and private key encrypted.

He said the vaccine certificate will be in QR code form and cannot be easily forged by anyone.

"They cannot easily make a fake vaccine certificate because it will be private key encrypted... It cannot be duplicated anywhere," he said.

"We are working with the World Health Organization and IATA (International Air Transport Association)... We assure that our vaccine certificate is very convenient," he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS