As the government seeks to balance public health and the reopening of the economy, it is encouraging the public to use the StaySafe.ph contact tracing application to track the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said people can simply scan QR codes with their smartphones when entering establishments like malls, banks, restaurants, as well as buses and trains under the digital program.
"All government agencies and local governments will be mandated to adopt––and will also be promoted for use in all private establishments starting this December," he said during an online press briefing Wednesday.
"This is all part of efforts to strengthen and consolidate our contact-tracing efforts, which will go hand in hand with the compliance of individuals and establishments with the DOH (Department of Health) and IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases) minimum health and safety standards––steps that will help our country better balance the need to protect our kababayans and the ability of our economy to recover from this pandemic,” he said.
By using the StaySafe program, Nograles said people could forgo manually filling up contact-tracing documents.
He said the mobile application could be downloaded for free and does not require prepaid load to function. "StaySafe is already zero rated by Smart––and soon, Globe––so access to the website is free and will not be deducted from a person’s data plan or load," he said.
At present, more than 40,000 establishments are using the contact tracing system. More businesses are expected to adopt the program in the coming weeks.
Nograles also assured the public of the StaySafe.ph system's compliance with the country's privacy law. The system does not collect the full name, birthdate, address, and email address of its users, he said.
He also said the StaySafe.ph program, donated by Multisys to the Philippine government, is the only contract tracing platform working with the Department of Health's Covid-Kaya system.
The government will eventually issue "Safety Seal" certifications for public and private establishments to show compliance with health protocols. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the “Safe Dito” program seeks to boost public confidence in visiting establishments that follow stringent health and safety as well as contact tracing protocols.
For people without smartphones, Nograles said they could register via the StaySafe website or visit their barangays to get a print-out of their personal QR code.
"Christmas is also called the Season of Giving, so let’s give our families and friends, let’s give each other peace of mind by taking every precaution possible to keep our homes and our loved ones Covid-free. StaySafe PH is here to keep you and those around you safe," he said.