DILG Antique prepares provincial government for Safety Seal

SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE – In preparation for the issuance of the Safety Seal certification, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Antique held a virtual orientation with the representatives of the provincial government of Antique on August 25, 2021.

The Safety Seal Certification Program (SSCP) is a voluntary certification scheme that affirms that an establishment is compliant with the minimum public health standard (MPHS) set by the government and uses the StaySafe.ph app as its contact tracing tool to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the orientation, SSCP Provincial Focal Person Darelle Thea Abad of DILG Antique presented the salient points of DILG MC 2021-053 and Joint Memorandum Circular 21-01 of the DILG, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Tourism.

The DILG, as the Issuing Authority, will confer a Safety Seal on compliant government establishments such as the provincial capitol, municipal halls, and all other LGU facilities and buildings.

Further, the inspection teams will also inspect police camps and stations, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) offices and stations, provincial jails, barangay halls other barangay facilities, and all other public establishments not covered by the other issuing agencies.

On the other hand, LGUs will be responsible in awarding the Safety Seal certification to other private establishments in their areas. They will also be in charge of conducting regular audits on offices and establishments that had been issued with the Seal to verify if they are still following the required safety measures.

Antique Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator (PPDC) Juliana Cepe said that the provincial government of Antique has already adopted the StaySafe.ph application tool and Quick Response (QR) codes are in place at the entrance of the provincial capitol building.

StaySafe.ph is the government’s official contact tracing app which is currently being used by millions of individual users across the country. The app can be downloaded by either Apple or Android users for free.

To use the app, individuals who will enter the provincial capitol will have to scan the QR code posted at the entrance. A recording machine will keep track of those that have registered their presence through StaySafe.ph, and this will facilitate contact tracing if needed.