AN ORDER EMPLOYING THE QUICK RESPONSE (QR) CODE SCANNING THROUGH THE USE OF THE DAVAO DEL NORTE COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING SYSTEM (DCCTS) AS MECHANISM TO EXPEDITE CONTACT TRACING FOR COVID-19 CASES IN THE PROVINCE OF DAVAO DEL NORTE, PROVIDING FOR ITS GENERAL IMPLEMENTING RULES AND GUIDELINES

WHEREAS, Presidential Proclamation No. 922 was issued on 08 March 2020 declaring the Philippines under a State of Public Health Emergency.

WHEREAS, under Section 2 thereof, all government agencies and Local Government Units (LGUs) are enjoined to render full assistance and cooperation and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 threat.

WHEREAS, Section 4 of the same proclamation urges all citizens, residents, tourists, and establishment owners to act within the bound of law and to comply with its lawful directives;

WHEREAS, Presidential Proclamation No. 929 was subsequently issued placing the Philippines under a State of Calamity for a period of six (6) months whereby all government agencies and LGUs are mandated to undertake the necessary and appropriate disaster response aid and measures to eliminate such threat;

WHEREAS, Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution provides that “the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.”

WHEREAS, Section 16 of the Local Government Code (Republic Act No. 7160) mandates LGUs to promote health and safety, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of its inhabitants;

WHEREAS, the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte, with its aim to expedite contact tracing efforts in the event that a positive case of COVID-19 is reported in the Province, intends to employ the Quick Response (QR) Code Scanning through the use of the Davao del Norte COVID-19 Contact Tracing System (DCCTS);

NOW, THEREFORE, I, EDWIN I. JUBAHIB, Governor of Province of Davao del Norte, pursuant to the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order the following, viz.

Section 1. Declaration. It is hereby declared that the Province of Davao del Norte shall employ the Quick Response (QR) Code Scanning through the use of the Davao del Norte COVID-19 Contact Tracing System (DCCTS) as mechanism to expedite contact tracing efforts of the Provincial COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force in the event that a positive COVID-19 case is reported in the Province.

Section 2. Purpose. The QR Code Scanning through the use of the Davao del Norte COVID-19 Contact Tracing System (DCCTS) shall be employed for the sole purpose of recording the person’s entry at any given place and time within Davao del Norte Province. The basic personal information and related data collected in the DCCTS shall be used for no other purpose other than to support and expedite the tracing of persons within the Province who may have contact with an infected person in the event that a positive COVID-19 case is reported in the Province.

Section 3. General Implementing Rules and Guidelines. The employment of Quick Response (QR) Code Scanning through the use of the Davao del Norte COVID-19 Contact Tracing System (DCCTS) is hereby subject to the following general implementing rules and guidelines, to wit:

2.1. All individuals who have transaction in any private establishment or government office/agency within Davao del Norte Province must register for and secure a Quick Response (QR) Code;

2.2. For residents of Davao del Norte Province, they shall register and secure their QR Code in their respective city/municipality or barangay. For non-residents of Davao del Norte Province, they can register online via the link: https://davnorsystems.gov.ph/DavNorContactTracing. In the event that a non-resident was not able to secure a QR Code via online, they may secure the same from the Local Government Unit (LGU) where they intend to go. Registrants are required to present a valid Identification Card (ID) or government-issued ID for verification and reference. Securing a QR Code is free of charge;

2.3. All LGUs of Davao del Norte Province shall be responsible in the registration of their respective constituents. They may adopt their own strategy to efficiently conduct the registration of their constituents for the QR Code;

2.4. In case a registered individual lost his/her QR Code, he/she must report the incident immediately to their local COVID-19 Operation Center and secure a police report or an affidavit of loss before he/she can request for another QR Code;

2.5. The QR Code is only issued to Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR);

2.6. Private establishments, religious institutions, churches, schools, local and national government offices within Davao del Norte Province are required to provide their own IT equipment to download and install DCCTS scanning application, which will be used to scan the QR Code;

2.7. The LGU shall identify and designate their own QR Code Scanning Areas within their locality. One entrance/exit is recommended, if possible. In large public places or open areas with multiple entry points such as public markets, transport terminals, malls, and the likes, mulitple QR Code Scanning Areas may be placed strategically in different locations within the place to ensure that anyone going inside the premises passes through the QR Code Scanning;

2.8. All transacting public including all personnel of private and government offices, must submit themselves to the QR Code scanning before they are allowed entry to the office building/premises;

2.9. All private gatherings and events, such as weddings, baptisms, anniversaries and the likes, must secure permission from their LGU. The LGU concerned shall in turn, facilitate the downloading of the DCCTS QR Code scanning application to be used during the said event. Guests and visitors of the said event who are non-residents of Davao del Norte Province must secure their QR Code first prior to attending the said event;

2.10. In the event that a positive COVID-19 case is reported in Davao del Province, only the Incident Commander of the Provincial COVID-19 Incident Management Team is authorized to access the QR Code database. The Incident Commander shall forward the data to the City/Municipal COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force Incident Commander for appropriate contact tracing, monitoring, and isolation;

2.11. A surveillance team of the LGU concerned shall conduct the contact tracing activity, observing strict compliance of the Department of Health (DOH) Contact Tracing protocol;

2.12. The DCCTS shall automatically perform the discarding of stored data (only logged data from the QR Code Scanning) of the registered person from the server after 30 days from the date of scanning;

Section 4. Separability. If any provision of this Order is declared invalid and unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.

Section 5. Repeal. All issuances, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

Section 6. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon signing and shall remain in full force unless revoked or amended.

Signed this 15th day of September 2020 at the Provincial Government Center, Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

 

EDWIN I. JUBAHIB
Governor