CALOOCAN CITY, March 30 (PIA) -- Department of the Interior and Local Government Spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya today urged the public to use the government's StaySafe.PH application in a bid to boost the country's COVID-19 contact tracing efforts, as he allayed privacy concerns floated by some "doubters" of the app.
“The doubters of this system can sleep easy. The system and its database is no longer in the hands of a private company but now in the hands of the DILG which will ensure compliance with all laws, rules and regulations. The National Privacy Commission has also reviewed Stay Safe and it has passed the NPC’s review,” Malaya said, referring to the National Privacy Commission as the country's privacy watchdog and an independent body mandated to administer and implement the Data Privacy Act of 2012, and to monitor and ensure compliance of the country with international standards set for data protection.
The official also assured the public that the Stay Safe app will not be used for surveillance because it does not use GPS rather it uses bluebooth technology through the GAENS or the Google Apple Exposure Notification System.
“In this time of pandemic, we cannot afford to work singly and alone, apart from the efforts of the others. Hence, we need to unify our contact tracing initiatives through the StaySafe app. We will, of course, provide technical assistance to LGUs [local government units] who may need help in integrating their own systems with StaySafe,” Malaya said, following the virtual turnover ceremony were representatives from the DILG, Multisys Technologies Corporation, Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and the Department of Health (DOH)-Bureau of Epidemiology.
Meanwhile, Malaya said the DILG and the DICT will hold a workshop for all LGUs with existing local contact tracing systems so that they can be integrated with StaySafe. The DILG will also hold a workshop for all other LGUs since the use of the app is mandatory.
Malaya said that Stay Safe app is currently being used by some 15 million individual users and some 700 LGUs across the country. The DILG aims to reach at least 50 million users and connect all 1,634 city and municipal LGUs across the country.
“We laud Multisys headed by its President and CEO David Almirol for developing this remarkable innovation in contact tracing that will give the country an upper hand in COVID-19 prevention, tracing, and response,” he said.
For his part, Almirol said that he is pleased that his company, Multisys Technologies Corporation, has done its significant share in helping the government at this time of pandemic when everyone is called to be part of the solution and take an active part in anti-COVID efforts.
Designed to aid in the management of COVID-19 cases by reminding people to maintain physical distance, as well as recording and monitoring COVID-19 symptoms, StaySafe.PH was developed by Multisys Technologies Corporation in collaboration with PLDT-Smart Group and PLDT Enterprise and the Interagency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and the National Task Force on COVID-19.
The app engages the public against the spread of COVID-19 and aggregates all reports available in desktop and mobile versions, allowing the government to respond quickly to people's needs and make informed and timely decisions to keep Filipinos safe during the pandemic.
Among the LGUs now using this app are Caloocan, Muntinlupa and other local governments in Metro Manila. It is also being used now by top companies like SM Supermalls, McDonalds, Jollibee Foods Corporation, Alliance Global which includes Megaworld Corporation, Union Bank, Yuchengo Group of Companies including RCBC Bank, Filinvest, JG Summit which handles Robinsons Malls, Metrobank, Resto.ph, and Angkas.
In April 2020, the National Task Force on COVID-19 signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Multisys Technologies Corporation adopting StaySafe.Ph app as the country’s official contact tracing, health condition reporting, and social distancing system. (PIA NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
0 Comments