DILG reiterates to public, LGUs the uniform use of Stay Safe app

Quezon City, Philippines – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has again called on all local government units and the public to utilize and patronize the digital contact tracing application, StaySafe.Ph.

In a statement during the Memorandum of Agreement signing and official turnover of the StaySafe app to the government through the DILG on Monday, March 29, 2021, DILG Officer-In-Charge Bernardo Florece Jr. said the app is an effective tool in the conduct of contact tracing and its use ensures consistent and unified contact tracing reporting.

“Instead of using other apps, it is imperative for LGUs to use the StaySafe app for a unified system that will allow seamless, fast, and efficient contact tracing efforts,” Florece said

Though efforts of LGUs and private companies developing their own contact tracing is appreciated, the officer said the use of the app eases the efforts of government authorities and medical experts in tracking the records of Covid-19 cases in the country as this serves as basis for them to decide on appropriate action to undertake to control virus transmission.

He reminded LGUs not to develop their own contact tracing app, saying, “Hindi po puwedeng kanya-kanya tayo.”

“We need a macro view of the situation on the ground so that we will be armed with up-to-date information that will aid us in implementing COVID-19 response policies and measures,” he added.

Further, he said the use of the app shall be of great help in the efforts of over 250,000 contact tracers in charge of the conduct of physical contact tracing in the country .

After turnover on the management of the app, DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, in a separate statement, said the agency in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications and Technology will conduct workshops for LGUs with existing local contact tracing systems to make its integration possible on the StaySafe app.

Moreover, the DILG undersecretary reiterated that the agency will hold a workshop for all LGUs as the app’s utilization is mandated.

“We will, of course, provide technical assistance to LGUs who may need help in integrating their own systems with StaySafe,” Malaya said.

For the public, Malaya assured that the Stay Safe app will not be used for surveillance and only uses Bluetooth technology through the GAENS or the Google Apple Exposure Notification System.

“The doubters of this system can sleep easy. The system and its database are 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,” Malaya explained.

The app, he added, has been reviewed by National Privacy Commission Stay Safe and passed said process.

Designed to assist in the governments’ effort in the management of COVID-19 cases, StaySafe.PH was developed by Multisys Technologies Corporation in partnership with PLDT-Smart Group and PLDT Enterprise in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and the National Task Force on COVID-19.

The MOA signing between the government and the developer on the adoption of the use of app as the official contact tracing system contact tracing, health condition reporting, and social distancing system transpired in April 2020.

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