Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) — The donation of the StaySafe app to the government has yet to be finalized nine months after its designation as the government’s official contact tracing app.
Director Eric Tayag of the Department of Health’s Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service told lawmakers at a joint House committee hearing on Tuesday that the app’s turnover to the government cannot proceed due to the absence of a certification of security from the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
He also claimed that the donation process is dragging on due to changes to the app made by developer Multisys Technology Corporation.
“The process has taken so long because contrary to what David Almirol has reported to this chamber, the reason why we’re asking him to stop providing changes, modification to the StaySafe app, because it’s giving us a hard time together with the DICT and the National Privacy Commission to vet, validate and confirm the usage of StaySafe,” said Tayag.
However, Multisys CEO David Almirol said all of StaySafe’s features were already in the app from the start. He argued they were being given the runaround by the DOH.
“Consider it this way: they asked us to deliver the car, but when we delivered the car, there’s no parking lot. So meaning, they’re not ready to accept the donation,” he said.
Contact tracing czar Benjamin Magalong expressed his frustration over the delay in donation, saying it is affecting the effectivity of the government’s contact tracing efforts.
“During our previous meetings, ayos na natin sana ‘yan [we would have fixed it]. Sabi ng DICT, sir ok na, pwede nang tanggapin. Sabi ng DOH, sir may konti pang modifications na gagawin [The DICT said it was okay and that we can already accept it. But the DOH said modifications were still needed]. I was hoping na everything will be settled na [already] among these different agencies. It’s really frustrating,” Magalong said.
StaySafe.ph is currently being used by 8.5 million individuals, 700 LGUs, and 184,000 establishments in the country.
During the hearing, the House committees on health and on information and communications technology adopted a resolution urging the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to establish a unified national contact tracing protocol to ensure a more effective health emergency data monitoring system in the country.
