(Clockwise) Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. VP for Corporate External Relations Vince Tan, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Aboitiz Foundation President and Chief Operating Officer Maribeth Marasigan, and Asian Institute of Management-Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (AIM-ASITE) Head Christopher Monterola led the MOA signing for ‘Project Connect’ ー an initiative to improve the country’s contact tracing through the use of data science. Photo from: Aboitiz Group
MANILA, Philippines — Data science-driven project “Project Connect” has been launched in a move to help improve the country’s contact tracing capabilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a virtual ceremony on May 18, private firm Aboitiz Group; academic institution Asian Institute of Management-Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (AIM-ASITE); and the local government of Pasig City signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that would put in motion “Project Connect” which was conceptualized by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).
In a Facebook post, Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto said the project connects the country’s COVID testing data to the city’s contact tracing application. An algorithm would then help identify and notify close contacts automatically.
For the implementation of the project, the Aboitiz Group through its Foundation has also donated P2 million to fund the implementation of ‘Project Connect’, which includes pilot testing, SMS blasts, and the development of the Application Programming Interface or API which is essential to increase contact ratio from one infected person is to two to three persons traced (1:2-3) to an ideal of one infected person is to thirty to thirty-seven people traced (1:30-37).
“One life saved by addressing this gap in the pandemic response, is more than enough reason for Aboitiz to be part of this initiative. This remains true to our promise of advancing business and communities,” Aboitiz Foundation President Maribeth Marasigan said in a statement.
AIM-ASITE Head and Aboitiz Chair in Data Science Christopher Monterola said by connecting the Department of Health’s data to the contact tracing apps used by the LGUs, required isolation time of compromised individuals can be reduced from seven to just four days.
“According to simulations done, this acceleration of the contact tracing process can reduce the total number of cases by 50-60% if tracing is implemented with about 75% of the population complying,” Monterola said.
“By connecting the DOH data of infected individuals and the contact tracing data of say Pasig Pass, we can identify the individuals most likely compromised if they are in the same establishment within say 30 mins. We can then prioritize on contact tracing the individuals based on the length of contact, nature/place of contact, susceptibility to become seriously ill (age and gender), and most importantly one’s potential to be a super spreader,” he added.
NEDA Undersecretary Mercy Sombilla, meanwhile, said that with quick testing and tracing, “we can identify, test, and isolate asymptomatic individuals before they go out and infect others in the community.”
“Doing so will dramatically reduce cases, limit the spread of the virus, sustain the reopening of the economy, and allow people to go back to work as soon as possible. The gradual reopening of the economy is key to economic recovery,” Sombilla said.