Online Privacy Policy Statement

We collect the following personal data from you when you electronically submit to us your inquiries or requests:

• Name
• Email Address
• Contact number

This form is used by the data subject to request appointment with various USLS offices.

While your consent may be solicited to process your personal data, we may also process personal data without your consent, such as when processing is allowed under Section 12 or Section 13 of the DPA.

In these instances, your personal data is utilized for the following purposes:

• For documentation and processing of inquiries and requests within the USLS, enable the USLS to properly address them and forward them to the appropriate internal units for action and response.
• To solicit feedback for the services we provide.
• To provide you with the appropriate updates and advisories in an appropriate format and orderly and timely manner.
• To comply with a legal obligation to which the USLS is subject.
• To comply with the requirements of public order and safety.
• To be able to provide the appropriate action that a data subject may require concerning their data privacy rights.

Risk refers to the potential of an incident to result in harm or danger to a data subject or organization. Risks may lead to the unauthorized collection, use, disclosure, or access to personal data. It includes risks involving the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal data or the risk that processing will violate the general data privacy principles and the rights of data subjects.

USLS ensures that adequate physical, technical, and organizational security measures are in place to protect personal information's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. However, this does not guarantee absolute protection against certain risks involving the processing of personal data, such as when systems are exposed to targeted cyberattacks, malware, ransomware, and computer viruses or when manual records are accessed without authority.

However, adequate policies are in place to ensure appropriate security incident management in line with existing NPC policies, circulars, and other issuances.

We safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your personal information by maintaining a combination of organizational, physical, and technical security measures based on generally accepted data privacy and information security standards. Among the measures we implement are the following:

• Policies on access control in both digital and physical infrastructures to prevent unauthorized access to personal information.
• Security measures against natural disasters, power disturbances, external access, and similar threats.
• Technical measures to protect our computers and databases against accidental, unlawful, or unauthorized usage, interference, or access.

We store files containing personal information in our computers and servers, which are kept in a secure environment. We may also store your personal information with cloud-based third-party data storage providers. We shall ensure that proper measures are adopted to protect your information.

Personal data shall be stored in a database for two (2) years after inquiries and requests are acted upon. After which, records shall be disposed of securely.

Other categories of data may be kept longer than two (2) years when its retention period is determined by other relevant laws and regulations.

Physical records shall be disposed of through shredding, while digital files shall be anonymized. In all instances, our manner of disposal shall ensure that the personal information shall no longer be retrieved, processed, or accessed by unauthorized persons.

Under the DPA, you have the right to be informed regarding processing the personal information we hold about you.

Further, you may be entitled to request:

• Access to personal data we process about you. It is your right to obtain confirmation on whether or not data relating to you are being processed;
• Rectification of your personal data. This is your right to have your personal data corrected if it is inaccurate or incomplete;
• Erasure or order blocking of your personal data whenever warranted;
• The right to object if the personal data processing involved is based on consent or on legitimate interest;
• The right to data portability through which you may obtain and electronically move, copy, or transfer your data securely for further use.

You may claim compensation if you believe you suffered damages due to inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, false, unlawfully obtained, or unauthorized use of personal data or for violating your rights and freedoms as a data subject.

Suppose you think that your personal information has been misused, maliciously disclosed, or improperly disposed of or that your data privacy rights have been violated. In that case, you have a right to file a complaint with the NPC.

USLS reserves the right to update or revise this privacy notice at any time and will provide a new privacy notice whenever there are substantial changes.

If you have suggestions or comments regarding our privacy statement and notice or for any issues concerning our data privacy practices, you may reach us through our Data Privacy Officer, Ms. Anna Luz Maturan, via landline (034) 434-6100 local 101 or email at dpo@usls.edu.ph.