Gov’t orders consolidation of contact tracing data via StaySafe.ph app

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ COVID-19 task force has required government agencies and local government units to use the StaySafe.ph application in a bid to consolidate contact tracing data.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) also enjoined private establishments to use the StaySafe.ph app.

“StaySafe.ph shall be the government’s digital contact tracing application of choice and shall be made mandatory for adoption and use in all national government agencies and instrumentalities, and local government units, and promoted for use in all other private establishments, facilities/offices,” an IATF resolution released Friday read.

“[T]hose with existing contact tracing applications are enjoined to integrate their system with the StaySafe.ph system,” it added.

The IATF also created a Data Resiliency for Ease Access and Management (DREAM) Team intended to augment personnel and provide support to the country’s COVID-19 information and communications technology (ICT) ecosystem.

“The DREAM Team will not be involved in any data collection activities,” IATF spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

The newly established team will be composed of personnel from the following agencies:

• Department of Information and Communications Technology (chair)
• Department of Health
• Department of Science and Technology
• Philippine National Police-Directorate for Information and Communication Technology
• Armed Forces of the Philippines-Information Systems Management Division

“The creation of this ICT Team would empower LGUs to be more confident in using the ICT ecosystem that will help us defeat the COVID-19 pandemic,” Roque said.  [ac]