By Alec Go
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday (April 19) said they will soon activate the Google/Apple Exposure Notification (GAEN) as an added feature of Philippine contact tracing application StaySafe PH.
DILG Undersecretary Bernardo Florece said Google and Apple have already given their permission to use the system.
“Ang timeline naman natin dito ay next month, May, full rollout na ito sa lahat ng gobyerno, sa ating mga LGUs (local government units), at sa ating establishments [Our timeline is next month, May, we will have the full rollout in all government offices, LGUs, and establishments],” Florece said.
The application was developed by MultiSys Technologies and was turned over to the government on March 29, 2021. This will be used nationwide and has interoperability features with other tracing apps.
Using the app
StaySafe may be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store and may be accessed through https://www.staysafe.ph/. An individual may register through their mobile number which will be given a message containing a verification code.
The application will require a secure password before you can enter basic information such as a code name and a photo which is optional. This will be followed by creating a PIN code.
Health reporting, social distancing
StaySafe will ask for age and gender and several COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, dry cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste, and fatigue.
The users can update this checklist and can include the status of their family members. A digital logbook is also available for companies and organizations. Users can create their QR ID information for health check and COVID-19 contact tracing.
Health tips are also available to assist those experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. LGUs are authorized to conduct real-time monitoring of cases.
The data will be uploaded to a database that can be accessed by the government. The government gives the assurance that the application is covered by the Data Privacy Act.
The app is also equipped with a social distancing feature that notifies users about positive, probable, and suspected COVID-19 cases around them.
