This Privacy Policy explains what personal information iMERGEncy collects, why, and how it is used, stored, and protected when you use the iMERGEncy mobile app or web portal ("the Service") operated for the Municipality of Balete, Batangas ("the Municipality", "we", "us"). It is intended to comply with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173) and its implementing rules. This Policy forms part of our Terms of Service. By creating an account and agreeing to this Policy during registration, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described here.
To register and verify your account, we collect:
To respond to emergencies, we collect:
To make the app work, we also collect:
Some of this information, such as your government ID and the health or assistance information above, is considered sensitive personal information under Philippine law. We collect it only with your consent and only for the purposes stated in this Policy.
We do not sell your information, and we do not use it for advertising.
Your report and profile information is visible to verified Barangay officials in your area and to Municipal MDRRMO officials — the people responsible for responding to your reports. It is not shared publicly, and it is not shared with other citizens. We may disclose information to other government agencies or emergency responders when needed to protect life or safety, or when required by law or a lawful order.
We process your personal information based on your consent given at registration, and where necessary to respond to a threat to life, health, or safety, to carry out the Municipality's disaster-response functions, or to comply with legal obligations. You may withdraw your consent by requesting account deletion (Section 8), but doing so means you can no longer use the Service.
Some parts of the Service are powered by outside providers, who process a limited amount of data strictly to provide their part of the Service. These providers may process data on servers outside the Philippines.
Passwords are stored using one-way hashing, never in plain text. If you enable App Lock in the app, your PIN is stored only on your own device, encrypted, and is never sent to our servers. We take reasonable organizational and technical measures to protect your data, and limit access to authorized officials. No system can be guaranteed 100% secure. If a security incident affects your personal data in a way that creates a real risk of serious harm, we will notify you and the National Privacy Commission as required by law.
Under the Data Privacy Act, you have the right to:
You can also turn off specific device permissions (location, camera, microphone, notifications) at any time in your phone's settings — the app's Compatibility Check screen explains what each one is used for. Turning off a permission may limit how well the Service can respond to your reports.
You can request permanent deletion of your account and associated data by contacting the MDRRMO office listed in Section 12. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
We keep your account and report information for as long as your account is active. After that, or after a deletion request, we keep only the information we are required or permitted by law to retain, such as official incident and response records, for the period needed for recordkeeping, audit, and public-safety purposes, and then securely delete or anonymize it.
iMERGEncy is intended for residents aged 18 and above. Residents under 18 may use the Service only with the knowledge and consent of a parent or legal guardian, who is responsible for their use of it and may contact us about their child's data at any time.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be reflected here with an updated "Last updated" date, and where appropriate we will notify you through the app. Continued use of the Service after a change means you accept the updated Policy.
Questions about this policy, your data, or requests to exercise your rights can be directed to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Municipality of Balete, Batangas, at imergency.balete@gmail.com.