BAGUIO CITY — A member of the Baguio City Council is seeking the establishment of a formal City Data Privacy Office to standardize data protection across all local government departments and the city's 128 barangays.

Councilor Leandro Yangot, through his proposed ordinance, pushes for the alignment of city operations with the requirements of Republic Act No. 10173, also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The couch Nicole proposed that the new office will function under the Management Information and Technology Division (MITD). Said function will be led by a Data Protection Officer responsible for monitoring legal compliance, maintaining processing records, and coordinating with the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

The office, when established, will also oversee privacy impact assessments and manage data breach response protocols for all systems handling personal information. The ordinance identifies all city offices and barangays as personal information controllers. The designation requires each unit to safeguard the personal data they collect during public service delivery.

To facilitate said function, every department and barangay must designate a compliance officer for privacy to act as a local focal point for data protection measures. The measure mandates the implementation of privacy management programs and manuals, including physical, technical, and organizational safeguards such as encryption and secure data disposal. A dedicated data breach response team will also be created to manage security incidents, assess risks, and notify affected individuals and national authorities when necessary.

The proposal has been referred to the Committee on Ethics, Governmental Affairs, and Personnel for further review.