The Department of the Interior and Local Government Cordillera urged local government units, the public, and other sectors to use StaySafe.Ph application to strengthen detection and slow down the surge of the Covid-19 in the region.
“The StaySafe.Ph contact tracing system mobile application is intended to be the default application for all Filipinos, especially when traveling, visiting establishments and offices, and going to work, which is why we are urging everyone to adopt the use of this application,” DILG OIC-Regional Director Araceli San Jose said.
She said the implementation of StaySafe.ph is a government initiative to increase efforts to track down close contacts of individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases made the use of the StayStay.ph app mandatory for national government agencies and LGUs in November 2020.
The Cordillera IATF has reaffirmed its adoption of StaySafe.PH system as the official social distancing, Covid-19 health condition reporting, and contact training system of the government in compliance with IATF Resolution 109, s. 2021.
“The app will also complement the efforts of the country’s more than 250,000 contact tracers who do physical contact tracing,” San Jose added.
Meanwhile, DILG Usec. and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya in an official statement said the StaySafe app will not be used for surveillance because it does not use GPS, but rather Bluetooth technology via the Google Apple Exposure Notification System.
“The system and its database are now in the hands of the DILG, which will ensure compliance with all laws, rules, and regulations. StaySafe has also been reviewed by the National Privacy Commission, and it has passed their scrutiny,” he said.
Malaya said the app educates the public about 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. – Press release
