Proposed innovations on contact tracing system using contactless smart cards in the Philippines

Abstract

Contact tracing is a process that is used to control the spread of diseases such as COVID-19 that was being processed manually in most of the areas of the Philippines. Technology-based approaches such as Quick Response (QR) Codes and Bluetooth had emerged to provide better solutions. However, these solutions require the use of smartphones, which can be a problem for countries such as the Philippines with a low smartphone penetration level. Contactless smart cards use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology, which is utilized in a variety of applications, among which is automating transactions, personal identity verification, and contact tracing in hospitals. This research explores the applicability of contactless smart cards in the development of a reliable contact tracing system. The study made use of a survey questionnaire to determine if smart card technology is perceived positively thus, acceptable to the users. Results of the data gathered presented a high adoption rate following a high overall rank in preference over the existing solutions in the Philippines which implies that the proposed solution is more likely to be accepted by users.