CCSIT’s contact tracing system ranked third in Scientific Poster Session

Among the 15 scientific poster entries in the Visayas, The Development of Automated Contact Tracing System (ACTS) of the College of Computer Studies and Information Technology (CCSIT) of Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) Main Campus placed third in the Scientific Poster Session during the Regional Scientific Meeting (Visayas Cluster) on April 13-14, 2021.

The Regional Scientific Meeting (RSM) is spearheaded by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in which the Scientific Poster Session is one of the three major highlights of RSM.

ACTS is one of the research components of an extension project of CCSIT entitled “Empowering the Frontliners for Effective Community Quarantine Implementation.”

ACTS aims to record and monitor individuals’ movements within the Southern Leyte Province.

Aside from ACTS, other research components of the extension project are “Centralized Border Access Control and Monitoring System” which records vehicles and individuals going in and out of the Southern Leyte borders, and “Offense Monitoring System” which monitors individuals who violate the community quarantine protocols and municipal ordinances.

These three were the entries of SLSU which were submitted to DOST Regional Office No. VIII for the Scientific Poster Session activity and only ACTS made it to the cut.

Project Leader and the Dean of CCSIT Dr. Alex C. Bacalla emphasized the importance of recording and monitoring the movements of people within the province.

“This project is very timely considering the importance of mitigating the spread of the virus through strict implementation of quarantine protocol,” Dr. Bacalla said.

ACTS has already been utilized by the city and municipalities of Southern Leyte province. Whether residents or not of the province, individuals have ACTS Quick Response (QR) code to avail essential goods and services in any of the establishments in Southern Leyte. Moreover, establishments within the province are mandated to go to their respective municipal Business Permits and Licensing Office to register to ACTS and secure their respective username and passwords. Every time an individual transacts to any of these establishments, one must present his QR code for scanning. This shall then log and record his entry and exit from the establishment.

SLSU President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes shared her felicitations to CCSIT through a Facebook post, saying ‘another feather is added on SLSU-CCSIT’s cap’, and being ranked third is indeed a ‘feat’.

Ranking first place is the Science and Technology Education Center with its entry entitled “Development of an Offline Learning Mobile Application for Qualitative Research Subject for Learning Continuity Utilizing Unity Gaming Engine. On the other hand, Aklan State University got second place with its entry entitled “Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic to the Livelihood and Well-being of Artisanal Fishing Communities in the Province of Aklan, Western Visayas, Philippines.”

Meanwhile, both the Engagement Award and People’s Choice Award are given to the University of Eastern Philippines on its entry entitled “Anti-Microbial Activity of Nipa and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Textile: Solving the Scarcity Using Local Resources" which gained the most number of comments, shares, likes, and reactions in the official Facebook page. of NAST.

Together with Dr. Bacalla are Dr. Czarina Ancella G. Gabi, Dr. James Brian Flores, and Mr. Arman Masangkay who authored the development and evaluation of ACTS.