MANILA - Lifting the Philippines' state of calamity declaration for COVID-19 would invalidate the emergency use authorization of vaccines and drugs against the illness, the Department of Health said Friday.

Only the World Health Organization can lift the public health emergency it declared for COVID-19, which a group of doctors recently sought, said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

• Doctors' advice: Keep mask mandates, lift public health emergency
• Philippines declares state of calamity due to COVID-19 outbreak

The Philippines, however, can choose whether or not to prolong its state of calamity declaration which was twice extended and is set to end in September, Vergeire said.

• Philippines declares state of calamity due to COVID-19 outbreak

She said the DOH has presented to the inter-agency task force on COVID-19 the implications of ending the state of calamity, including its effect on the authorization for vaccines.

"Best example would be the emergency use authority of our vaccines. Pag nawala na po ang state of calamity, na-lift yan, yung EUA po natin di na po yan magwowork," Vergeire told reporters.

(If the state of calamity is lifted, the EUAs would no longer work.)

"Kailangan magkaroon na po ng CPR (certificate of product registration) ang ating mga bakuna gayundin ang ating mga gamot natin that we’re using as special compassionate permit."

(The vaccines and drugs that we are using with special compassionate permits will need CPR.)

For manufacturers to obtain CPRs, they need to finish the fourth phase of their clinical trial, Vergeire said.

Government has to prepare many things to "readily lift" the state of calamity following the emergence of new subvariants and the low uptake of booster shots, she added.

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"Looking at our situation right now, baby steps tayo. We’re looking at this process kung saan we’re assessing day-by-day kung ano po ang nagiging sitwasyon ng ating bansa," she said.

(We should take baby steps. We’re looking at this process kung saan where we’re assessing day-by-day what the situation of our country will be.)

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