16,000 approved users of RapidPass — DOST

MANILA, Philippines — There are now some 16,000 approved users of the RapidPass system that would speed up inspection of motorists through quarantine checkpoints in Metro Manila amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said yesterday.

Dela Peña said the high enrollment in the system showed the need for technology solution to the delay in the inspection of motorists at checkpoints manned by the police during the health emergency.

The 16,000 RapidPass users could use the pass to facilitate movement through 48 quarantine control points (QCPs) or checkpoints in Metro Manila.

Dela Peña said the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will continue its close collaboration with DEVCONNECT Philippines Inc. (DEVCON), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Joint Task Force COVID Shield (JTF) for the operation and maintenance of the RapidPass system.

“We would like to thank the DEVCON volunteers for coming up with this innovative solution which has eased the burden for our personnel in quarantine checkpoints and we would like to thank our partners, DICT, PNP and DOST-NCR for working together in deploying RapidPass, and we thank our partners from the private sector, PLDT and SM, for donating phones to be used by PNP personnel at QCPs and bandwidth for the operation of RapidPass,” he said.

The RapidPass system hastens the movement of Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR) and their vehicles through police checkpoints.

Both the origin and destination of the APOR are indicated in the encryption of the RapidPass code.

DEVCON founder Winston Damarillo expressed gratitude to the government for the opportunity to work hand in hand in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

DEVCON developed the RapidPass in response to the request of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases for innovations to decongest traffic at the QCPs.

DOST chairs the RapidPass Coordination Group; DICT leads the Technical Working Group; and the JTF, led by Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, takes point in the deployment at the QCPs.

Altogether, it took DOST, DEVCON, DICT and the PNP-JTF to manage the deployment and operations of the RapidPass, augmenting the efforts of government to ensure the fast and easy passage of frontliners and essential goods during the enhanced community quarantine.

DEVCON, a volunteer organization that promotes collaborative growth and global competence of Filipino developers, is led by Amihan Global Strategies and Talino Venture Labs chief executive officer Damarillo.

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