With reports of rampant abuse on the illegal use of the VCVax Passports or the Valenzuela City Vaccination Card (VCVC), the 8^th City Council approves Ordinance No. 925, Series of 2021, or the “Anti-Illegal Use of Vaccination Card”, providing strict penalties to individuals and businesses committing falsification, mutilation, tampering or alteration, and unauthorized reproduction of the vaccination cards.

The City Government of Valenzuela has been issuing VCVax Passports or the Valenzuela City Vaccination Cards to fully vaccinated individuals and those individuals who received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in authorized vaccination establishments or sites within its territorial jurisdiction.

These vaccination cards shall serve as a proof that an individual has received the COVID-19 vaccine and thus entitles him or her to certain benefits and privileges for intrazonal movement. Persons fully vaccinated need to present their COVID-19 domestic vaccination card issued by the legitimate vaccinating establishments according to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

However, Valenzuela City has received reports of abuse on the use of VCVax Passports such as, but not limited to, falsification, mutilation, alteration, tampering, unauthorized reproduction, and other similar acts, that defeats the very purpose of the issuance of the vaccination cards.

Although there is an existing ordinance providing penalty in abuse of any identification cards (see Ordinance No. 685, Series of 2020), there is an urgent need for Valenzuela City’s Sangguniang Panlungsod to enact an Ordinance to specifically regulate and penalize the abuse on the use of the VCVax Passport to avoid any ambiguity in its interpretation and implementation.

Under the Ordinance, the following acts are prohibited: (a) the willful submission or causing to be submitted a fictitious name or false information in filling up the required data in the VCVC; (b) the unauthorized printing, duplication, reproduction, manufacturing preparation or issuance of any invalid VCVC purporting to be issued by the authorized vaccination establishments of the City of Valenzuela for purposes of claiming benefits or privileges pertaining thereto; (c) the unauthorized use or possession of VCVC, without reasonable excuse by any person other than the one whom it was issued; (d) falsification, mutilation, alteration or tampering of VCVC; (e) the possession of fake, falsified, mutilated, tampered or altered VCVC; (f) and the use of fake, falsified, mutilated, tampered or altered VCVC.

Anyone who violates the ordinance will be fined with an administrative penalty of PhP 1,000 in the 1st Offense; PhP 3,000 in the 2^nd  Offense; Php 5,000 in the 3^rd  and succeeding offenses.

Business establishments found violating the ordinance can also have their business permits suspended or revoked. Further, the City Government of Valenzuela may also file a criminal case against the business establishment.

This ordinance shall apply to any person who has been issued with the Valenzuela City Vaccination Card or the VCVax Passport by the duly authorized vaccinating establishments or in possession of the VCVC within the territorial jurisdiction of Valenzuela City as proof of having been fully vaccinated or having been vaccinated of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Ordinance No. 925, Series of 2021, or the “Anti-Illegal Use of Vaccination Card”, was authored by District 1 Councilor Rovin Andrew Feliciano during the 96^th Regular Session of the 8^th City Council last August 16.