The Philippine government through its various agencies is encouraging all business establishments to voluntarily apply for their Safety Seal Certification program as a way of ensuring compliance to the minimum public health standards (MPHS), enforce the usage of the StaySafe.PH Contract Tracing system, and ensure consumer confidence with a safer, reopened economy.
The Safety Seal Certification is Free. Below are the steps on how to obtain a Safety Seal Certification for your establishment, organization, government agency, or Local Government Unit.
The Joint Memorandum Circular
DOLE, DOH, DILG, DOT, and DTI have joined forces to release a joint memorandum circular number 21-01 series of 2021, entitled “Implementing Guidelines of the Safety Seal Certification Program”.
It was created with the following in mind as preamble:
- the Constitutional duty to promote the right to health of people and instill health consciousness
- threat of new variants of COVID-19
- need to enforce strict and continual compliance to the minimum public health standards (MPHS) particularly in businesses and major public spaces
- implementing usage of the IATF-adopted contract tracing application from StaySafe.Ph that includes displaying of its QR Code in these business establishments and public places.
Because this initiative is done by different government agencies, the process of acquiring a Safety Seal differs depending under which department your business activity belongs to.
Step 1. Under which Issuing Authority (Government Agency) do you belong to?
Look at the classifications below to find out under which government agency your business activity belongs to.
Issuing Authority: Department of Tourism (DOT)
• Accommodation Establishments (Hotels, Resorts, Apartments, Hotels, and other Accredited Accommodation Establishments)
• Travel and Tour Services
• Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (MICE) Venues/Facilities
• Restaurants inside Hotels/Resorts
Issuing Authority: Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
• Manufacturing
• Construction sites
• Utilities (Electric, Water, Gas, Air conditioning Supply, Sewerage, Waste Management)
• Information and Communication companies (Private Publication, News, Movie Production, TV and Radio Companies)
• Warehouses
Issuing Authority: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
• Groceries, supermarkets, membership shopping clubs
• Convenience stores
• Construction supply/ hardware stores
• Logistics Service Providers (outlets)
• Barbershops and Salons
• Service and Repair Shops
Issuing Authority: Local Government Unit (LGU – Your City or Municipality)
• Malls
• Wet markets
• Other retail stores
• Restaurants outside Hotels/Resorts
• Fast food, Eateries, Coffeeshops, etc.
• Banks, money changers, pawnshops, remittance centers
• Car wash
• Laundry service centers
• Art galleries, libraries, museums, zoo
• Sports centers
• Tutorial, Testing, and Review Centers
• Gyms
• Spas
• Cinemas
• Arcades
• All other private establishments
Issuing Authority: Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)/Philippine National Police (PNP)
• City Halls, Municipal Halls, Provincial Capitols
• All other Local Government Unit facilities and buildings
• Police Camps and Stations
• Bureau of Fire Protection Offices and Fire Stations
• Provincial/District/City Jails
• Barangay halls and other barangay facilities
• All other public establishments not covered by the other Issuing Agencies
Step 2. I now know my Issuing Authority. What now?
Next you should proceed to the official website of the issuing authority you belong to, or their facebook page for information on the forms required and procedure.
Local Government Unit – LGUs meaning the city/municipality where your establishment is registered have different procedures, thus it is best to go directly to their FB page, or visit your City/Municipal Hall to get the required forms and information.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Proceed to DTI’s Official Safety Seal Certification Website here.
Department Of Tourism (DOT) – Fill-up the following Safety Seal forms and submit it via email or hardcopy to your DOT Regional Office. The form requests a StaySafe Location Code. Read on below to obtain it.
Look for the Contact Details of Your DOT Regional Office Here
Department Of Labor and Employment (DOLE) – Proceed to DOLE’s Official Safety Seal Certification Website here.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) – For those in NCR you may apply online at their Official Website here, for those in Bicol Region you may proceed here. Those in other parts of the country please proceed to the official regional DILG Website here.
To read up on the full text of the implementing guidelines under Joint Memorandum Circular No. 21-01 series of 2021, please read the original document here:
How do I setup my StaySafe.Ph Contact Tracing System?
One of the major requirements of the Safety Seal is that your establishment must implement the StaySafe.Ph Contact Tracing System. StaySafe will provide you with a unique QR-Code and unique establishment URL which customers may scan or visit to fill-up their health declaration form for contact tracing purposes. Compliance to this system is required and non-compliance will be a basis for revocation of the Safety Seal Certification.
Setting Up Your StaySafe Admin Access
Companies, organizations, government agencies, and LGUs can easily setup their StaySafe system online. Here are the steps:
- Go to http://www.StaySafe.ph and Click on the “Request Access” button OR go directly to https://core.staysafe.ph/signup
- Fill-up the form — ensure you have a working mobile number as a One-Time Pin (OTP) will be generated.
Upon successful setup, you can now see your Digital Logbook and print-out the QR code sign and post these on your entrances.
Finding your StaySafe.ph Location Code
In cases where the Issuing Authority will require you to enter/write-down your StaySafe.PH Location Code, it is basically the ending chain of characters in the website address/URL of your QR Code. Here’s how to obtain it:
- Scan your establishment’s StaySafe.PH QR Code with your mobile phone, and launch your browser. The contact tracing page will load.
- Go to the address bar of your browser where it reads ” https://www.staysafe.ph/g/logbook/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-. . .”
- The string of numbers and characters right after “/logbook/” is your Location Code. It has the following format “xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx”
Give Your Customers a Convenient Website Address to Login/Checkin with Your StaySafe.PH Form
For some establishments, they may want to share their StaySafe.PH Contact Tracing Form with their customers via a website address. This can come in handy when posting announcements in text form.
Your StaySafe form website address goes by the format of “https://www.staysafe.ph/g/logbook/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx“. Understandably this is not user friendly. Here’s how to get a shortened website address or URL.
- Use a URL-shortener service like Bitly or TinyURL. Sign-up for Free.
- Decide on a friendly URL with the service. E.g. https://bit.ly/JollibeeStaySafeForm or basically your establishment’s name to make it easier.
- Enter your StaySafe website address to map it to your chosen URL.
- Share your shortened link with your customers!