In the continuing pandemic, the government today (September 7) virtually launched a harmonized, nationwide travel management system for local travelers and Local Government Units (LGUs), the QR coded S-PaSS, short for Safe, Swift and Smart Passage.
As of presstime, 93 LGUs use the S-PaSS and 2,996,797 total registrations in the system.
The S-PaSS is among the 21 technologies, innovations, and enabling R&D projects dubbed as the Big 21 this year.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region VI developed the S-PaSS to enable travelers to digitally check for travel policies and requirements, apply for the necessary travel documents, and acquire approved documents online in the website that can be accessed through https://s-pass.ph.
At the same time, LGUs can also post their latest travel policy and travel requirements publicly on a single platform.
The system uses QR code technology to ensure the authenticity of the travel documents, preventing the movement of unauthorized persons.
Already, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) mandated the use of the S Pass as a one-stop-shop application and communication platform for travelers and LGUs.
Hence, it issued IATF Resolution No. 101 series of 2021 on February 26, 2021.
Among the partners in implementing S-PaSS are the DOST system, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).