After a series of technical review, encoding of names and data sorting, the first ever Quick Response Code System (QR Code) implementation officially began in the city on November 30, 2020, with the end view of easing up contact tracing procedures; 578 Mall recorded more than 800 scanned codes, the next day of implementation period.
The “SAFE Borongan Contact Tracing Application” is an urgent move of City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan C. Agda to help front liners, contact tracers and disease surveillance teams in containing or at least minimizing the spread of reported COVID-19 positives and their close contacts.
People who enter business establishments, offices, groceries, malls, cafes, clinics, hospitals and more need not write anymore their names and other related personal information in logbooks, instead, they just have to show to the guards on duty their QR Codes with valid ID and pronto, their names and addresses would be revealed with the use of a mobile phone as a scanning machine.
However, Reginald James B. “RJ” Lorico, Vice Chairman of the City’s Public Health and City Task Force (PHSTF) and in charge of the QR Code project, pointed out that the QR Code is not a mere substitute of the valid ID. In fact, at the Border Control Checkpoints, anyone entering and exiting need to present usual travel requirements such as medical certificates, travel order/authority, valid IDs.
Judelyn Boco, 36 years old of Sitio Catian feels glad to have her own QR Code. To her, having received a new kind of identification card from the City Government, is a sign that she is acknowledged and taken cared of as a member of the community.
“Nakakatuwa po na may sarili akong QR code. Para akong sikat na kasali na ngayon sa isang pamahalaan, na may pag-aaruga sa kanyang mga tao,” said Judelyn who as a househelp, frequents the City’s public market and supermarkets, and previously had to write some of her personal information in logbooks. But now, she said, with the QR code, she can quickly enter the stores, and perform her tasks easily.
However, some establishments that she has gone to, are not well-equipped with the scanner. There are times, when the scanner stops functioning due to an exhausted battery, she said.
In a radio interview, Mr. Lorico, noted that the SAFE Borongan QR Code System being a new project is rather one big step to protect the Borongan populace, and glitches could happen as expected, because the system is still in its birthing pains.
Some concerned individuals have however aired similar observations that some establishments are not practicing the QR Code.
“We understand that the new system could be initially uncomfortable to some, but this is a good measure to minimize or better yet stem, the spread of the virus.”
Executive Order JIDCA-014-1120 provides that first offenders could be sanctioned with P5,000.00 penalty and for the second offense, could be fined with same amount plus a possible revocation of business license.
Lorico further encouraged those establishments which do not yet have scanner access, to send their requests to safeborongan@gmail.com with their establishment name, contact person, designation, and number.
A total of 103,426 names have already been generated and the process of correcting and adding in data continues. #
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