Baguio City’s citizen portal app, Baguio in My Pocket (BIMP), is meant to speed up governance, not to intimidate residents.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong has assured registration in the BIMP, which has become mandatory for employees and residents who want to transact business at the City Hall, will not compromise an individual’s right to privacy.
“The BIMP is one of our strategic directions towards digital transformation. We will not use it to violate the rights of an individual,” Magalong said.
The city government has made the BIMP registration mandatory when it implemented the “No QR Code, No Entry” policy on Jan. 11.
The QR code generated for those who have registered in the BIMP replaces the information sheet residents are filling up upon entry to city hall.
The policy has created a buzz on social media with netizens raising concerns over the security of the information provided by those who registered in BIMP from hacking and the app’s potential to be used for human rights violations.
Magalong said the system is not meant for purposes other than to facilitate contact tracing in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and to speed up the manner the city government delivers its basic services. He added the data stored in the BIMP is secured through the app’s cloud-based storage system.
The BIMP database will also fast-track the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Magalong said those who have registered in the BIMP will be prioritized in the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine as their information are readily available in the city government’s system.
Aside from generating the QR code, the BIMP has several features aimed at promoting an e-government ecosystem.
Aside from the e-government transaction icon that taxpayers can soon tap for the assessment of business and real property taxes. The app also features an e-wallet that allows cashless transactions, an online market place, and a market-to-home delivery icon.
The BIMP will also allow residents to report emergencies through an icon that integrates the services of frontline agencies, such as the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police.
The city government has been encouraging Baguio residents to register in the BIMP. The system was piloted at Barangay Irisan last year. – Jane B. Cadalig
April 25, 2024
