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Privacy Policy

Effective date: June 25, 2026 · Last updated: September 4, 2026

1. Introduction

Muniserve Computer Software Trading (“MuniServe,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the MuniServe Electronic Business Permits and Licensing System (eBPLS) platform, accessible at muniserve.ph and through the branded online portals of our partner Local Government Units (“LGUs”) (collectively, the “Platform” or “Service”).

This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected, used, and protected when you use the Platform to apply for, process, or manage business permits, licenses, clearances, and related local government transactions. It is issued in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (“DPA”), its Implementing Rules and Regulations (“IRR”), and the issuances of the National Privacy Commission (“NPC”).

Please read this Policy carefully. By creating an account or otherwise using the Platform, you acknowledge that you understand the roles and responsibilities described below.

2. Important Distinction: Who Controls Your Data

Under the Data Privacy Act, two distinct roles apply to how your personal data is handled on this Platform:

The Local Government Unit (LGU) is the Personal Information Controller (PIC). Each LGU that subscribes to MuniServe decides what personal data is collected, why it is collected, how long it is kept, and how it is used to process business permits, assess local taxes and regulatory fees, and enforce local ordinances. The LGU is the government office you are transacting with, and it exercises control over your personal data in connection with that transaction.

MuniServe is the Personal Information Processor (PIP). We provide and operate the software infrastructure that LGUs use to receive, route, compute, and manage applications. We process personal data strictly on behalf of, and under the documented instructions of, the relevant LGU, pursuant to a service and/or outsourcing agreement between MuniServe and that LGU. MuniServe does not determine the purposes for which your personal data is ultimately used by the LGU, and we do not use your personal data for our own independent purposes — such as sale, unrelated marketing, or use across unaffiliated clients — except to the extent strictly necessary to operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Platform itself.

If you have questions about how a specific LGU is using your personal data, or wish to exercise a data subject right in connection with a particular application, your request is ultimately a matter for that LGU (as PIC) to act on. MuniServe will assist by facilitating, and where appropriate directly acting on, such requests as instructed by the LGU, as further described in Section 8.

3. Personal Data We Collect

Depending on the transaction, the Platform collects the following categories of personal data on behalf of, and as instructed by, the relevant LGU:

Identity and contact information — full name, date of birth, sex, civil status, home and business address, mobile number, email address, and signature.

Government-issued identification — copies or numbers of valid government IDs (e.g., driver’s license, passport, PhilSys/National ID, UMID, SSS/GSIS ID) submitted to verify the identity of an applicant, business owner, officer, or authorized representative.

Business information — business or trade name, business address, line of business, DTI/SEC/CDA registration details, mode of business organization (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, cooperative), names of officers, partners, or owners, and supporting documents such as lease contracts, barangay clearances, fire safety certificates, sanitary permits, and locational or zoning clearances.

Tax and financial information — declared gross receipts or sales, capitalization, and other figures required by the applicable LGU’s Revenue Code to compute local business taxes, regulatory fees, and other charges. This information is used by the Platform’s tax computation engine strictly in accordance with the rates and formulas set by the applicable LGU.

LGU subscription billing data — MuniServe’s payment gateway integration is used exclusively to collect subscription payments from our partner LGUs for use of the Platform. Where an authorized LGU officer (e.g., from the Treasury or Accounting Office) processes a subscription payment on behalf of the LGU, that officer’s name, designation, and contact details, together with payment reference numbers and transaction status, may be processed for this purpose. Card, e-wallet, and bank account details are collected and processed directly by our accredited third-party payment gateway partner and are not stored on MuniServe’s own servers.

Important: MuniServe does not process, collect, or store payment information for citizen or business applicant permit fees, taxes, or clearances. Citizens and business applicants pay assessed government fees directly through the applicable LGU’s own LinkBiz payment portal, which is owned and operated by the LGU, is a separate platform from MuniServe, and is not covered by this Policy. We encourage you to review the LGU’s own privacy notice for that portal.

Technical and usage data — IP address, browser and device information, log-in timestamps, and similar data generated automatically when you use the Platform, used for security, audit-trail, and system-performance purposes.

We collect this information because it is required by the applicable LGU to receive, evaluate, route, assess, and act on your business permit or licensing application, and to comply with applicable national and local law, including the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) and the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (RA 11032).

4. How Personal Data Is Used

Personal data collected through the Platform is processed, on behalf of the relevant LGU, to:

  • create and maintain your citizen or applicant account;
  • receive, validate, and route your application to the appropriate LGU department or office (e.g., the Business Permits and Licensing Office, Treasurer’s Office, Zoning Office, Fire Department, or Health/Sanitation Office);
  • automatically compute and display applicable local taxes, regulatory fees, and other charges based on the rates, schedules, and formulas set out in the LGU’s Revenue Code and ordinances (actual payment of these amounts is completed by you on the LGU’s own LinkBiz portal, separate from MuniServe — see Section 3);
  • process LGU subscription payments through our accredited payment gateway partner, where applicable;
  • generate permits, official receipts, clearances, and related records, and communicate the status of your application;
  • respond to inquiries, complaints, and support requests;
  • maintain the security of the Platform, prevent fraud, and comply with the audit, legal, and regulatory obligations of MuniServe and/or the applicable LGU; and
  • carry out any other purpose specifically instructed in writing by the applicable LGU, consistent with the purposes disclosed to you at the point personal data was collected.

MuniServe does not use personal data collected through an LGU’s eBPLS portal for its own advertising, unrelated profiling, or resale, and does not share it with unrelated third parties.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Processing under this Policy is based on one or more of the following, as applicable to the transaction: (a) your consent, given at the point of registration and application; (b) the necessity of processing to fulfill a transaction you requested from the LGU; (c) compliance with a legal obligation of the LGU, including its mandate under the Local Government Code and applicable revenue ordinances; and (d) the performance of a function vested in the LGU as a public authority, consistent with Sections 12 and 13 of the DPA and its IRR.

6. Disclosure and Sharing of Personal Data

Personal data submitted through the Platform may be disclosed to:

  • the relevant LGU and its authorized personnel, departments, and offices, for purposes of evaluating and acting on your application;
  • our accredited third-party payment gateway provider (e.g., Xendit), solely to process LGU subscription payments (MuniServe does not disclose citizen payment data to any gateway, as we do not process citizen payments — see Section 3);
  • MuniServe personnel and authorized sub-processors (such as cloud hosting providers) who require access to operate, maintain, host, or support the Platform, all of whom are bound by confidentiality and data-protection obligations at least equivalent to this Policy; and
  • government agencies, law enforcement, or courts, where required or authorized by law, regulation, subpoena, or court order.

MuniServe does not sell personal data. Any subcontracted service provider engaged to host or support the Platform is contractually required to implement appropriate security measures and to process personal data only for purposes authorized by MuniServe and the applicable LGU.

7. Data Security

MuniServe implements organizational, physical, and technical security measures appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the personal data processed, consistent with the DPA and applicable NPC issuances, including:

  • encryption of personal data in transit (e.g., TLS/SSL) and, where applicable, at rest;
  • role-based access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis;
  • secure authentication mechanisms and system activity logging;
  • regular security assessments, vulnerability testing, and system monitoring;
  • confidentiality undertakings and data-protection training for personnel with access to personal data; and
  • a documented security incident and personal data breach response procedure, including notification to the National Privacy Commission and the affected LGU(s) within the period required under NPC Circular No. 16-03 (Personal Data Breach Management), and notification to affected data subjects where required by law.

8. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under Section 16 of the DPA, you have the right to: be informed of the processing of your personal data; access your personal data; object to processing; request correction of inaccurate data; request erasure or blocking, subject to applicable legal and regulatory retention requirements; be indemnified for damages arising from unlawful processing; obtain a copy of your data in an electronic or portable format; and lodge a complaint with the National Privacy Commission.

Because the relevant LGU is the Personal Information Controller for your application data, requests to exercise these rights are, strictly speaking, a matter for that LGU to act on. As a convenience, you may also submit a request to MuniServe’s Data Protection Officer (contact details in Section 13), and we will promptly forward it to, and coordinate a response with, the applicable LGU on your behalf.

9. Data Retention

Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, or as required by applicable law, including retention schedules issued by the Commission on Audit, the National Archives of the Philippines, and the applicable LGU’s own records retention policies. Upon termination of MuniServe’s service agreement with an LGU, MuniServe will, as instructed by that LGU, return or securely dispose of the personal data processed on its behalf, except where continued retention is required by law.

10. Cookies and the MuniServe Website

The public marketing website at muniserve.ph may use cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly and to understand general site usage. This is separate from the LGU-branded eBPLS application portals, which are governed by this Policy in full. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, though some website features may not function properly as a result.

11. Children’s Data

The Platform is intended for use by individuals of legal age, or by authorized adult representatives applying on behalf of a business. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors, except where a minor’s information appears incidentally within a business registration document (for example, as a listed dependent or beneficiary) submitted by an adult applicant.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date, and material changes will be communicated through the Platform where appropriate.

13. Contact Us / Data Protection Officer

For questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal data by MuniServe, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at:

Email: hello@muniserve.ph
Phone: +63 977 440 1374
Entity: Muniserve Computer Software Trading
Address: 04 Yakal St. San Miguel Bulacan 3011

If your concern relates specifically to how a particular LGU is using your personal data as Personal Information Controller, we recommend also contacting that LGU’s designated Data Protection Officer, whose details are typically available on the LGU’s own eBPLS portal or official website.