Privacy Notice

The Municipal Government of Malvar (“we”, “our”, or “us”) respects your right to privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. In line with this, we ensure that we comply with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173), along with its Implementing Rules and Regulations as well as any other relevant data privacy-related laws and issuances by the National Privacy Commission (NPC). Furthermore, we only collect and process information that is necessary to fulfill the purpose of our platform. This Privacy Notice explains what information we collect, process, and share. It also informs you why we do so, and your data privacy rights regarding your information.

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect needed changes in our policy to comply with the legal and operational requirements. In such cases, we encourage you to check for updates on our Privacy Policy, if notified. This is available on our website or app for your information and reference.

By registering, accessing, or using the application, you expressly consent to the collection, use, processing, and storage of your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

What Data Do We Collect

The information we collect may include Personal Information (PI) and Sensitive Personal Information (SPI) as defined in the Data Privacy Act of 2012:

Personal Information (PI) is any information from which the identity of an individual can be reasonably and directly ascertained, or when put together with other information would directly and certainly identify an individual, such as name, date, and place of birth, specimen signature or biometrics (fingerprint, face recognition, etc.) photo, present and permanent address, contact details such as personal telephone number, personal mobile number, and personal email address, user credentials (i.e. username and password, PIN/MPIN, etc.), geolocation, and information about the device you use to interact with us.

Sensitive Personal Information (SPI) is any information that falls under the category of personal information with a higher security impact as described in applicable privacy law. This information includes but is not limited to marital status, Government-issued numbers peculiar to an individual information on IDs issued by private companies that are duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and student IDs for those who are not yet of voting age (below 18 years old).

How We Use Your Information

We collect and process your Personal Information and Sensitive Personal Information for legitimate and specific purposes in connection with the delivery of government services through application. These include, but are not limited to:

To establish and verify your identity during registration, authentication, and account recovery processes, including the use of one-time passwords (OTP) and mobile personal identification numbers (MPIN);
To enable you to apply for and obtain a Municipal Digital ID, including the submission, review, and verification of your identity information and supporting documents;
To validate your identity through Know-Your-Customer (KYC) processes, including facial recognition, document verification, and other security checks to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of submitted information;
To facilitate access to Government services, including those that require identity verification such as emergency assistance and official transactions;
To respond to emergency request by transmitting necessary information such as your location, basic profile details, and request timestamps to the appropriate response units;
To allow you to manage and update your user profile, subject to applicable verification and security restrictions;
To improve system functionality, user experience, and service delivery through analytics and system monitoring;
To deliver non-political announcements and communications, including audio and video content from the Local Government Unit, to keep you informed of official government updates, municipal activities, and other relevant public information. The platform strictly does not facilitate or transmit any political announcements or campaign-related content;
To comply with legal obligations, regulatory requirements, and lawful orders from public authorities.

We ensure that the processing of your data is adequate, relevant, suitable, necessary, and not excessive in relation to the declared purposes.

Sharing of Information

We may share your information with authorized personnel, offices, and service providers strictly on a need-to-know basis and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. These may include:

Authorized personnel within the Municipal Government of Malvar responsible for processing Digital ID applications, identity verification, and emergency response;
Designated back-office system and command centers for the purpose of reviewing applications and responding to service requests;
Third-party service providers engaged to support system operations such as identity verification, OTP delivery, hosting, and technical maintenance, provided that such parties are bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations; and
Law enforcement or regulatory authorities, when required by law or in response to valid legal processes.

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise disclose your personal data to unauthorized third parties.

Permission and Device Access

The application may request access to certain features of your device to enable specific functionality. These permissions are requested only when necessary and are limited to the following:

Camera Access - for identity verification processes, including selfie capture and uploading of identification documents;
Location Access - to support location-based services, particularly for emergency assistance and service requests;
Storage Access - to allow the uploading and submission of files, documents, or attachments as part of application processes; and
Notification Access - to provide alerts, updates, and important service-related communications.

You may manage or revoke these permissions at any time through your device settings; however, doing so may affect the availability or functionality of certain features within the application.

Third-Party Sign-In and Limited Data Collection

The application may allow you to sign in using third-party authentication services (such as Google or Apple). When you choose to use these options, we may receive basic profile information as permitted by the third-party provider, such as your name, email address, or unique account identifier.

Such information is collected solely for the purpose of authentication and account management. We do not collect more data than is necessary, nor do we use such information for unrelated purposes.

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise disclose your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Digital ID records, identity verification data, and transaction logs may be retained for a longer period as required by Government regulations, audit requirements, and public interest considerations. When retention is no longer necessary, your data will be securely disposed of or anonymized.

Data Protection and Security Measures

We implement appropriate organizational, physical, and technical security measures to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, alteration, disclosure, or unauthorized access. These measures include, but are not limited to:

Secure authentication mechanisms such as OTP and MPIN;
Encryption of sensitive data during transmission and storage;
Access controls and role-based authorization for personnel handling personal data;
Monitoring systems to detect and prevent unauthorized activities; and
Regular security assessments and system updates.

While we strive to protect your information, no system is completely secure. We encourage users to take appropriate precautions in safeguarding their account credentials.

Your Rights as a Data Subject

In accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, you have the right to:

To be informed whether your Personal Information shall be, is being, or has been processed;
To reasonably access any Personal Information collected and processed in the duration of usage of the application;
To object or withhold consent with regards to the collection and processing of your Personal data.
To suspend, withdraw, or order the blocking, removal, or destruction of Personal Data from the relevant company’s filing system;
To dispute the inaccuracy or error in Personal Data, and the relevant company shall correct it immediately and accordingly, upon the request unless the request in vexatious or otherwise unreasonable;
To obtain a copy of the data in an electronic or structured format that is commonly used and allows for further use by the Data Subject;
To be indemnified for any damages sustained pursuant to the provisions of the Data Privacy Act or Other Privacy Laws.

If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above or require further information, you may contact us.

Children’s Privacy

The application is not intended for use by (17 years below) without the consent of a parent or legal guardian, as required under applicable laws and regulations. We do not knowingly collect or process personal data from children without appropriate authorization.

If it comes to our attention that personal data has been collected from a minor without the necessary consent, we will take appropriate steps to delete such information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Announcement and Communication Services

The Malvar App includes a communication feature that allows the Local Government Unit to deliver official announcements to residents. These announcements may be delivered in audio or video format and are accessible directly through the application or via a web-based platform for video content.

All announcements disseminated through the platform are strictly limited to official government communications related to public services, municipal activities, community information, and other non-political matters. The system does not facilitate, transmit, or display any political announcements, campaign materials, or partisan content of any kind. Users will not receive any politically motivated communications through the application.

Your notification preferences and announcement interaction data may be collected solely for the purpose of delivering timely and relevant communications and improving service delivery.

Updates to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to amend or update this Privacy Policy as necessary to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and operational requirements. Any significant changes will be communicated through appropriate channels within the application or official platforms.

Contact Us

If you have any questions pertaining to this App or any of the Terms and Conditions contained herein, please get in touch with the App Owner at Brgy. San Pioquinto, Malvar, Batangas, and contact us at mdrrmosupport@malvarbatangas.gov.ph.