By Patrick de Jesus
Almost a year after its launching, the StaySafe.ph mobile application has been officially turned over today by its developer, Multisys Technologies Corp., to the national government through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Staysafe.ph is the official contact tracing application of the government while the DILG heads the national task group on contact tracing.
During the turnover ceremony, the DILG called on local government units (LGUs) to refrain from developing their own contact tracing app to have a unified and cost-efficient system.
“Kaya nananawagan din po kaming muli sa mga LGUs na huwag nang maglabas o mag-launch ng kanilang sariling contact tracing system kasi nandito na po ang Staysafe. At ito ay donated na ngayong araw na ito sa ating pamahalaan at magagamit niyo na ito fully without any cost or charge para sa inyo (That is why we are calling on the LGUs not to come up with or launch their own because Staysafe is here. And this has been donated today to our government and you can use this fully without any cost or charge from your end,” DILG Spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya urged.
Contact tracing systems that have already been developed by local government units will be re-integrated with the Staysafe. Some LGUs that have their own contact tracing app include Valenzuela City (ValTrace), Pasig City (Pasig Pass), Mandaluyong (MandaTrack), and Antipolo (ANTIPOLO Bantay COVID).
“Mayroon po kaming API [Application Programming Interface] na ginawa katulong po namin dito ang DILG. Itong API po na ito ay ibibigay naming. I open po namin ito the moment na ang DILG in-advertise niya ito. Napakasimpleng integration po ito (We have made an API [Application Programming Interface] with the help of the DILG. We will be giving this API. We will open it up the moment the DILG will advertise this. This is a very simple integration),” MultiSys Founder and CEO David Almirol explained.
“Regardless kung anong gamit mo. Whether gamit mo ay StaySafe, whether gamit mo ay ValTrace, gamit mo ba ay Pasig Pass, kahit saan ka pumunta ‘yun na lang ang gamit mo. Hindi mo na kinakailangan na ang dami-daming app na ginagamit ninyo. ‘Yun ang pagkakagawa ng unification API ng StaySafe (Regardless what you are using. Whether you are using StaySafe, whether it is ValTrace, or Pasig Pass, you just use this wherever you go. You do not need to use too many apps. That is how the unification API of StaySafe was made),” Almirol added.
According to Multisys, the said contact tracing application currently has 15 million users both in digital, QR code, and camera scanning system, while more than 200,000 establishments and 700 LGUs are utilizing StaySafe.ph
Other features of the application are health condition reporting, COVID-19 update, LGU real-time case management system, establishment protection system, and LGU heat map and response system.
Although data privacy is assured for the users, the DILG appeals to the public to be honest with their health declaration status in the StaySafe.ph app.
“Ang key ng success nito is dapat lahat ng users ay honest sa kanilang entry. Halimbawa nagka-fever ka at hindi mo in-update ‘yung data mo, balewala rin (The key to its success is that all users should be honest with their entry. For example, if you have a fever and you do not update your data, then it will be all for nothing),” DILG Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, Jr. pointed out.
“Pinapa-alalahanan natin sila na this is part of the mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases. Nakasaad ito sa ating Republic Act 11332 kung saan you are mandated to report kung mayroon kayong diseases katulad nitong COVID-19 or even the symptoms (We are reminding them that this is part of the mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases. This is stated in Republic Act 11332 where you are mandated to report if you have diseases like COVID-19 or even the symptoms),” USec. Florece reminded.
The DILG is set to issue a memorandum circular to mandate LGUs to require establishments to use the StaySafe.ph app. Establishments in compliance with the minimum health standards and using the said contact tracing app will be given a “safety seal.”
