 In December of 2019, the world watched as a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus impacted the city of Wuhan in Hubei province in China. By January of 2020, the city of Wuhan was under lockdown and an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was declared. Thereafter, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern. In the Philippines, the first three confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported. And before we knew it, a global pandemic had occurred and we saw how countries struggled with data and analytics to combat the epidemic. For this episode, we will look into the importance of data, data analytics, and information technology in the fight to test, trace, treat, and isolate cases of COVID-19. This is Dr. Teddy Herbosa, your host for health issues here at TVUP. Our guest in this episode is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy and is the first female signal officer of the armed forces of the Philippines. She is a certified ethical hacker and has a master's degree in information systems at the University of the Philippines Open University. She was assigned as a close-in of three Philippine presidents and before, she became the head executive assistant of the National Task Force against COVID-19. Viewers, it is my pleasure to introduce Lieutenant Colonel Francel Marguerite Taburlupa. Francel? I have also a good afternoon to everyone. Welcome, welcome to TVUP. So tell us, Francel, how did you get involved in cybersecurity? Sir, you said a while ago when you introduced me that I am a signal officer. So after graduating from BMA and joined the Signal Corps, which is the Communications, Electronics, and Information Systems Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, basically in the RME. So from there, sir, when I joined the RME, I was designated as the Chief Information Systems Management Division. So there we were developing a lot of systems to be used RME-wide and AFME-wide. And then I transferred to, I was reassigned to the Presidential Security Group. And during one stint where we were in a presidential engagement, we noticed that in that engagement, there were security reaches, particularly in hacker attacks that were conducted against accounts from the Office of the President. So it was like an eye-opener for a group commander. And so since I was a signal officer, I was designated to undertake training such as the Certified Ethical Hacker Force. And from there, we developed our own data center for PSG. We also set up our own classrooms. And we set up shop for our own repairs because, you know, there's like a security breach when you bring computers at repair outside. And so it's vulnerable to being copied for whatever it is that's in your hard drives. So we set up all of that. And then on top of it, we recruited IS graduates, fresh graduates to train and be part of a pool of programmers, technicians in all sorts. In the telephone lines, computers, and CCTV. So you developed basically a whole cyber army of people to make sure we can defend ourselves against cyber attacks, correct? Yes, sir. Because now it's data is the new currency, sir. So we really have to protect our data. I also know that you give out consultancy talks to other countries as well. You're invited to other countries to speak on the issues of cybersecurity. Yes, sir. It started when I was invited by Dan Mayer Herbert Bautista to speak at the Kesson City Smart City Summit. And so I was designated to speak about cybersecurity because sometimes when we have applications, they always almost test for functionality. So they will be testing and testing whether this thing that they developed worked. So at the back of it, they were not aware of the security settings. So their poses of vulnerability for attackers. So that brings us to your current job as head executive assistant and also the chief information officer for the National Task Force. So you basically now vet and review all applications for volunteer information systems to combat this pandemic. Can you tell us more about that job description? Sir, ever since we set up shop here at the National Incident Command, of course the world came to a hold in terms of services and everything. So everything, all of the attention pulled down to COVID-19. So this IS companies trying to join the band by offering their services, their systems that are in place, recruiting some of the National Task Force because everybody wants to give a helping hand in order to combat this pandemic. So with this serve, we are trying to review the coordination with the ICP. Correct. So could you describe to our viewers what are some of this unique applications that are coming to us and offering solutions to our problem of the COVID-19 pandemic? First of all, sir, we have to take into consideration our plan. So according to our National Task Force chief information, we have to test, trace, and treat. So that's the treatment. So because of that, sir, in that platform, that is also where our efforts will be. So in terms of testing, first of all, we have to see what our capabilities in terms of testing, how many laboratories we have, how far can the laboratories be able to pick up in terms of our vicinity. And, you know, if, for example, you're living in a far away, far-flung area, and it takes you eight hours to get to a laboratory, then the next sample will be done. So we are trying to put in systems in order to be able to determine which parts of the country should be able to put up new laboratories so that the test samples will be there on time and be tested accordingly. And so it will be for some other time around time in terms of testing. Also, sir, from that, when we know, when we already tested and we know whether you are positive or not, you are positive, then we have to trace who are those people who have you been in contact with, how far have you gone, how many people have been around. So we have to have a tracking system in contact tracing application. So that's another one that we should be putting in place at this point in time. And then, finally, sir, treatment. In terms of treatment, we have to know where is the nearest hospital, is the part of hospitals capable of having COVID cases, how many is the air bed capacity and all that, to leave oils down and not just applications for testing, tracking and treating, but also integrated systems, you know, test kits coming in first in, first out, how many do we have in stock and everything. And all of this serve to boil down into having an integrated system where we can give data to our readers for them to have, you know, the activities that they need. So, Fransel, I think the Pintig lab was already used in the Ebola outbreak by UNDP. Is that correct? A very good start when they deployed it before. So now they want to use it again for COVID this time to enjoy more systems in place. Correct. Because of the time spent from Ebola to now, there are more systems that have been developed as well. So, if you enjoy any of the system, then the more data that you can process and be able to come out with, you know, dashboards to be able to test the situation at hand. So that's your use, no? For the National Incident Command and the Emergency Operations Center, your value are dashboards of data, correct? These are visualization, visualization of data. Can you tell us more about how data is visualized? Sir, when we integrate the systems, we get... So, with this, sir, we integrate all of them in a particular dashboard based on what are the needs of specific task groups. So, for example, sir, we're speaking about task groups of resource management and logistics. So, they will be more concerned about logistical assets. Correct. Will be tailored to what they need. So, it's more of an inventory system, how many test kits arrive, how many are in place, how many are stored, which ones came in first so that those are the ones that we're going to deploy earlier as well, those will be in first out. Correct. And, sir, we will be able to know whether we have enough test kits to cater to the needs of the whole country. That is the dashboard for the resource management and logistics. And then, they will also be able to see the military planes that are flying, the assets, how much is their capacity, how many can they transport at any given time. Correct. So, all of those things, those are for the resource management and logistics. But in terms of, for us, years are in the headquarters per se from the Office of the Chief Implementer. We have a bigger dashboard and it capers to a decision-making process. So, it's moving on in data analytics on the level that the national already does. So, you're saying in the command center it's more like a decision support tool. So, the different sources of data consolidated into a dashboard like a dashboard of your car where you know your speed, you know your gasoline is empty or something like that, right? So, your lights are open or not? Correct. So, that's a dashboard at the center. And then the task groups like the resource management, they would want to know their stock supply, how many they have to procure, which hospitals are locking PPEs, which lab tests are locking RNA extractor and all of that stuff, right? So, are these all set up already or fragmented still? Still, sir, at this point in time it's still fragmented because we are waiting for DICT to vet for the systems but we have been eyeing particular systems already that we know can be very vital to our operations. So, hopefully, sir, in the coming days we'll already be able to set up shops for this because time is of the essence and we really want real time and accurate data because we have to know, sir, whether there is also integrity of the data. It's not just data coming in from all over but we have to make sure that our decision is based on data that has integrity. So, you want IT or information technology to help us in terms of accuracy of data and real time quickness, the quickness of data so that our decision makers can make the correct and proper decisions, correct? Yes, sir. So, let me ask you what are the interesting applications that you have seen being offered to the national task force? Sir, at this point in time I think we are not to mention particular companies. Okay. Just the application itself. Don't mention the company. Yes, sir. But the solution they offer. So, a while ago, sir, I said about test, track, trace, and treat. So, in terms of test, sir, we have a particular company who is already renowned worldwide and their systems are already being used by a lot of prominent companies as well. It used to be an app to track your employees. For example, you have employees that are deployed in field settings and you can be able to see through the system, through the application whether they're already actually in the field at that particular time. So, you'll be able to take a picture of the setting where you are in the field and the time that you were there. So, we'll just tailor with all of these systems to be for COVID. So, instead of tracking an employee that is in the field, we are now trying to track trace those who have been identified who have been positive with COVID-19. Or exposed, correct. So, it's just simply working the database settings like the naming conventions and all and it's good to know. And it's very interesting because it creates what they call a geofence, right? Yes, sir. Electronic geofence. It's virtual, but you can contain the person in one geographic area because of that proven system. Yes, sir. So, it doesn't spread the virus to other places. You can check in. So, if we say that they will only be within the vicinity of their house, say, for example, we allot 500 meter radius, then if they go out of the 500 meter radius line, the application will alert us that they are out of their boundaries. So, that would, I think, sir, would be very useful. And another one is an application also developed by doctors. At this point, we from the military accept that we are not scientists. And so, we need the expertise of those who really know what they're doing in this war. It's a war on health. Correct. So, that's why, sir, we have commissioned resident doctors as advisors to be able to give our chief implementer a good grasp of what is really happening in terms of the illness that this pandemic poses. So, with that, sir, this pool of doctors develop a system which is an application that will track the testing capacity. Yes. It's like a playbook. They described it as a playbook or something. It's a playbook. A playbook, a pandemic playbook. Yes, sir. So, I think that is also another one that we should be very interesting solution. Integrated to that. And over and above that, sir, of course, we have the GIS Yes. We have the mapping. The mapping. That's very important because everything we can see on the map, you know, locations of particular individuals, locations, and, you know, the numerics are really, really very important. You know, how many are affected in a particular barangay, particular municipality and all that. And that will aid our decision makers to see and to state whether lockdowns can still be imposed. Yes, sir. And also, Franzell, di ba yung UP Resilient Institute and their modellers actually do computer modeling and projections that the National Task Force also utilizes in its briefing? Tamaba? Yes, sir. I don't know. At this point in time, I think that it is really very important that we commission those from the government because, sir, I believe that the UP team has been into this research for a very, very long time. And so they were able to already gather sufficient data and relevant data, not just for this pandemic, but for whatever disaster crisis that we will face. So because of this, sir, that data that was already collated for n-number of years could be very useful in this times of crisis because, you know, we can be able to identify our support system as well. And with that data, sir, that was already collated years before, it would give us an idea of historical and I think, sir, at this point that we are battling invisible enemy, having the right data and analysis is very, very crucial. So I think, sir, those that are very, that are from the government, especially from UP, sir, are really experts in this field. And so we have to put our trust in them that they're really doing their utmost to provide us with solutions, recommendations on possible solutions for this pandemic. So I think, sir, that they should really, really be they should really be playing a significant role in the data analysis for the laboratory that we're trying to build. So I highly suggest, sir, that in this in this effort of the DICP for the UNDP project to put UP and their team on board. Because actually, sir, as I have noticed, because I have also from the faculty of the information science information systems, I've noticed how UP has already trying to revolutionize their information systems for so long. So again, sir, and actually utilize what has already been what has only been tested for so many things. I'm glad you raised that because there are issues of data ownership and data privacy with the volunteers that have been coming into place. Can you explain that, Chris? Can you even give me an example of the data in China that was hacked by hackers, right? The contact tracing data in China was hacked. Can you expound on this risk that we probably will face if we are not careful? So, Doctor Ted, kasi ang mayari talaga ng data is the MPD, the government, because sir, nandapa at bumangon na tayo sa kutakamali yan. There was an issue, sir, last time with NBI. They commissioned, sir, a third party entity to, you know, gather all of the of our Philippines data ng NBI clearance. And then after a few years, sir, tapos yung contrata and then when the next leading came, hindi yung nang nanalo, it's a different company. So, the old company, they took all of the data. So, mapapansin yung nang sir, there was a problem before na sobrang haba ng pila just to get an NBI clearance because we lost all of those data. So, kanina, sir, data is currency. For example, sir, Philippines, we are 106 million strong or more. Say, for example, just for the name, name lang sir, first name, or just the whole name. If I sell it for one peso each because I have a death rate of all the names of Filipinos, I have 106 million pesos. So, ganin sa kaya important, sir, so every data that we put in, anything, sir, our birth dates, our cell phone numbers, our addresses, those are all currency. It can be solved. So, ang tiyaturo ko dyan, sir, kanang tayo, sir, we have, kayo docted, I think you have a yahoo account. Yahoo mail. So, kung may yahoo mail kasi, how can you know if your data has already been compromised? So, kanina, sir, you go to www.owelx.com and you try to buy a car, a second hand car. So, you can search, ka, sir, you wanted a car. And then, if you go to your yahoo mail, sir, you will notice at the side bar at the right side. Advertisement bang ko, chair? Advertisement of car. So, how did yahoo know that you were looking for a car? You go to Facebook, sir, and it's the same thing. At the right side panel, there will be car advertisements. So, ganin siya, sir. Ibig siyan, sir, at any point in time, when you access any of these three three sites, they got your data. So, ang sinasabingan na, sorry, there's no such thing as a free launch. It's given to you. Facebook is free, but Facebook, sir, actually has a lot of, a lot, lots and lots of data. So, sir, na sabi ko siyan, nyo daw, Fed, the other day. If you post something on Facebook, even if you deleted a minute after or immediately, it will always be there. It's never going to be deleted on the database. So, nang sabi nga nila, not post anything on Facebook when you're emotional. Pwede, pagkasar, pagka nag-job interview ka, they can open your Facebook and see your tendencies. Sir, if you're emotional, how you post, how you ran, and all that. And there's this site that is actually called archive.org. And if you go to archive.org and you place that date and time, anything that was posted anywhere in the worldwide is there. So, there's such a deleted item on the net. Wow. That's very important. That's very important information. And that's the issue as well with contact tracing because in contact tracing, you give all your personal data where you live, your birthday, your address, your phone number, contact details, email, will be all in one place. And if it gets hacked, that's it, right? Your identity can be stolen, your bank account, your laptop can be controlled. So, that's really scary, right? So, we need to be secure. Yes. So, yun sir, no, we have to really look into the security of the system that we put in place, especially now because everything is working on the notion that it's emergency. Correct. So, I remember in one of our meetings with DICP, you were presenting an enterprise architecture of how data would flow to the command center, to DICP warehouse, from all the other people that will ask it. Can you describe to our viewers what an enterprise architecture is? In a nutshell, sir, when we say enterprise architecture, it's like a cohesive system wherein you'll be able to visualize what your end goal is. So, yun nga, sir, yun siya sabi natin kanina. You get all of these systems, you integrate them by using different tools and then you come up with the dashboard. So, yun nga, ang end goal natin, sir, is a dashboard for visualization. Para, sir, hindi ka ganun ka teki, hindi ka ganun ka yun nga kaimas into a particular setting, madali ka, sir, makakita nung how you would decide, how you would move forward. So, it actually sets aton and gives a clear picture on how agencies would be able to go about their daily tasks. And not just that, we would also be able to have a visualization on how they would plan ahead for future undertaking. Correct. We were at the Philippine Red Cross and I showed you the Command Center of the Philippine Red Cross. Can you tell me more about what they've been able to build and how it works out to help their nationwide operation? Sir, in the Red Cross, I attended one of the conferences in the GIS. So, they're heavy, sir, on the GIS. They plot the map. They have a map and then they plot everything on the map. So, with that map, so when the senator Gordon looks at the map, he's going to be able to see where volunteers are. So, for example, sir, when typhoon Haiyan, when typhoon Haiyan hit, lahat sila are big things. Even volunteers, even hospital people, even policemen, even the military, they're all big things. So, along nakita natin dun, sir, dapat sir sa mapa na pa-plot na natin kung sino yung pinakang New York that can react. So, if this particular place is devastated, eto palang lugar natin siyang pinakang malapit na pwede ng umaksyon. Siyang pinakang So, na yung sir, looking at that with this pandemic, we are proposing to have rapid response teams. So, pwede tayong nakita yung absurd sa Red Cross with that. Because the Red Cross they can see on the map where their ambulances are. Where their... Or where their assets are. Where their assets are. They're both their ambulances. So, sa ating sana, sir, kung meron nag-register na meron siyang symptoms, ang unang mag-re-react, sir, anong, sir, parang very health center. So, sa beginin, okay, with your symptoms, I think there is a possibility that you have COVID. So, if you do, you are going to be you are going to be sent to a testing facility. So, when you test to, sir, and then you are... you come out positive, you are then sent to a quarantine facility. Quarantine facility. So, lahat sana yung, sir, smoothly done from the barangay level and the rapid response teams, sir. They're the ones who's going to conduct this, the testing, you know, putting in the test kit to the... to the... to the New West Laboratory. So, that's what... Very similar to how we used to travel when I'd like to take a vacation with my family. I booked everything online from the airplane to the airport transfer to the hotel to the tours that I will take and even the restaurant where I will be choosing are all done online. So, maybe something with that... continuity, you know, different activities but you can be doing it from one... one computer and one tablet or one phone. So, we hope to get to that level in the near future, right? As of now, all these systems are in different places and are not yet interoperable, right? Some of them, they need to... they need to combine. So, that's where the architecture really helps. Well, it's been very interesting. Do you have any final words, Franzelle, to our people who are... been staying home for almost 45 days already in their own homes, become experts in TikTok and all other forms of entertainment using Zoom. What can you tell them in terms of cybersecurity and personal protection of their own data? Sir, first of all, TikTok is also a cybersecurity threat. Yes, that's what I heard. Yes. Yes, it's an app from China. So, if you go online and research on TikToks vulnerability, sir, there's a lot. So, we suggest for you to just, you know, filipino nga na, sir, video, okay? That's right. Maybe nga, sir, Zoom is also trying to improve their system. So, maybe you can just have a drinking session with your... but it's liquor banter. So, it's juice session with your friends via Zoom. Correct. So, you can entertain themselves in a lot of ways. And so, in a nutshell, sir, just to state what we are trying to do for this IS in terms of this pandemic, we want to establish a one-stop shop. So, you know, sir. Correct. That's the objective. The medical field is into telemedicine. You're very, very familiar with that, sir. So, I think we are really trying to evolve into the new normal. So, we have to accept sir that things will never be the same. We have to accept the fact that the new normal is coming, which is, you know, wearing of masks, social distancing and a lot of the things that we do will be online. So, also, the company, sir, should also invest into their IT infrastructures because work from home would also be a normal as well. So, with this, sir, we wish to tell everyone to embrace technology. For the young ones, sir, there would be no problem. They're into technology from the very beginning. Mga baby ngayun, sir, nag-selphone nag- na-ad. But, you know, our mentioned mga oldies natin, sir, they have to, especially, sir, they are the decision makers. We have to accept the fact that you can never shun technology from how we do things now. So, with that, sir, I think we had a very, very fruitful discussion, docted. Yes, we did. We wanted to ask from you as well with you being with us here at the NTF and we really, really appreciate your presence here. And, yun, sir, sana-sana the UP team will be having a much bigger role in this effort that we're doing because I'm also an alumna as well. So, yes. So, overall, sir, we wish everyone to just enjoy with your families and para dun sa mga naihirapan, sir. So, kong ting-tis na lang, tulong-tulong, sir, ang sinabi lagi natin together, sir, we heal as well. Thank you very much, Brancel. With that, I have been a doctor for 30 years and I've never seen an epidemic or a pandemic handled with this much data and this much technology. It is really a history in the making that the way we battle this COVID-19 pandemic uses technology to the utmost and together we are discovering ourselves, we are discovering technology, we are discovering our weaknesses and we are discovering several of our strengths. With that, I thank you all. Be safe, stay home, stay safe, everyone. Thank you. This is Dr. Tether Bosa of Health Issues, TVUP.