Seamless: Four LGUS link Covid contact tracing apps

WORKING together to achieve a seamless digital contact tracking system, the local government units (LGUS) of Valenzuela, Pasig and Antipolo have welcomed Mandaluyong in their joint efforts to integrate the technologies they use to detect the location of possible Covid-19 carriers in their respective jurisdictions.

Officially entering a Contact Tracing Network Consortium Agreement with the three localities, the latter’s Mandatrack application is now interconnected with Valenzuela’s Valtrace, Pasig’s Pasigpass, and Antipolo’s Bantay Covid-19.

With their collaboration, their local residents need not have to download separate QR codes used in their own city as they are registered and used in any of the other three LGUS included in the consortium agreement.

This initiative started with the digital contact tracing concept implemented by Valenzuela in its jurisdiction last October 5, 2020, which proved to be an efficient and effective way of seeing recent Covid-19 exposures and contacts of a patient.

It works by requiring all citizens to have their own Valtrace QR codes and for businesses to scan the QR codes of all visitors entering the establishments.

Currently, the Valtrace QR codes are used by the city for its VCVAX Covid-19 Vaccination registration where the LGU continues to experience the benefit of having an existing database of its residents and provides for optimal targets for the vaccination registration.

Valtrace has been integrated with Pasigpass since December 7, 2020 and Bantay Covid-19 since January 10, 2021.

With Mandatrack’s official merger with the three apps, the local chief executives of the participating cities are more hopeful that more LGUS will join their integrated digital contact tracing solutions.

“This is a good news, especially for Pasigueños who frequently go to Mandaluyong as they don’t need to download a new QR code or fill out contact tracing forms .... I commend Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian of Valenzuela for pioneering this, and also Mayor Andrea Ynares of Antipolo and Mayor Menchie Abalos of Mandaluyong. This is a big help for us to fight against Covid-19,” Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Ynares is more than happy with the consortium agreement and hopes that the move of the cities will be a model for other LGUS. She said: “It’s a good feeling to know that the spirit of bayanihan is very much alive… May it serve as a model for the people how the cities of Mandaluyong, Valenzuela, Pasig, aand Antipolo work hand-in-hand.… I am hopeful that more will join us.”

Seeing the success of their partnership he first initiated, Gatchalian thanked Abalos for accepting their offer to link the contact tracing app used in Mandaluyong to their respective tracking systems meant to ease the travel and movement of their constituents within their jurisdictions.

“Now that our interlinking agreement grows, I believe that one day we will have a single QR code used all over the Philippines,” he said.

Abalos, for her part, reminded everyone to remain vigilant and observe the minimum health standards while the country is still under the threat of Covid-19.

“May the other LGUS in Metro Manila and nearby provinces be with us to have a solid cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork to strengthen our ties and campaigns against Covid-19,” she said.