Smart steps up support for RapidPass system

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. has stepped up its support for the government’s program to decongest quarantine control points.

With the government expanding the RapidPass project to cover the entire Metro Manila, Smart has provided the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) with additional 340 smartphones loaded with voice, SMS and data packages.

These are on top of an initial batch of 200 smartphones supplied by the company for the trial implementation of the system.

Smart said the mobile devices would be used by the Philippine National Police  (PNP) at quarantine checkpoints to read and confirm the validity of the QR codes being shown by frontliners to fast-track their movement.

With the 540 smartphones in place, each of the 180 checkpoints that process around one million people daily in Metro Manila who are allowed to go out of their homes for work and other essential purposes would be equipped with three devices.

DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña thanked PLDT chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan for the donation.

“Your company’s support for the government’s project will decongest quarantine control points and ensure the health of PNP personnel manning checkpoints as they will be able to observe physical distancing with the use of RapidPass,” Dela Peña said.

RapidPass.ph is the government’s initiative to speed up movement and access of frontliners and priority vehicles at designated checkpoints during the enhanced community quarantine.

The website provides for free QR code that serves as authorization for frontliners such as health workers and people delivering food, medicine and other essential supplies to go through checkpoints quickly.

The QR code can be printed on paper and placed on vehicles or saved on smartphones to be shown to policemen manning quarantine checkpoints.