THE Department of Health (DOH) today launched the COVID-19 Mobile Phone Survey for it to be able to understand better how Filipinos keep themselves healthy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mobile phone survey hopes to gather important data on significant elements related to COVID-19 such as exposure, illness, testing and diagnosis, barriers to testing, mitigation practices, and non-communicable risk factor behavior changes in the middle of the pandemic.

Available in both Filipino and English, the survey can be accomplished in two steps using a mobile phone: 1) via SMS or text messaging, which will be free for all mobile phone subscribers, or 2) via mobile web, where a link to a web form will be sent to all subscribers.

The DOH likewise assured the public that responses will be anonymous and confidential. This is in compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, where all of the respondents’ personal information will not be disclosed to third parties, and non-identifying information will also be secured.

The DOH also appealed to the public to take the survey to help the government implement policies and strategies for it to effectively and precisely respond to the daily realities of Filipinos during this time of the pandemic.

“We encourage the public to participate in this DOH-sponsored mobile phone survey, to assist the department in its development of evidence-driven strategies that supplement and complement our Healthy Pilipinas campaign,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III stated.