MANILA -- The Department of Health (DOH) today launched the COVID-19 Mobile Phone Survey to gain a better understanding of how Filipinos are keeping themselves healthy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mobile phone survey is aimed at gathering data on COVID-19 exposure, illness, testing and diagnosis, barriers to testing, mitigation practices, and non-communicable risk factor behavior changes during the pandemic.

The survey, available in both Filipino and English, can be done 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 assured the public that responses will be anonymous and confidential. In compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, all personal information of the respondents will not be disclosed to third parties, and non-identifying information will also be secured.

The DOH appealed to the public to take the COVID-19 Survey to help the government implement policies and strategies that more precisely respond to the daily realities of Filipinos in the time of the COVID-19 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,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III stated.  (DOH)