Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 6, 2025 | Last Updated: February 26, 2026

1. Introduction

PinoyLokal ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform to connect local service providers with customers in the Philippines.

This Privacy Policy is issued in compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

PinoyLokal is currently in pre-registration stage. Until formal business registration is completed, personal data is controlled by the PinoyLokal founding team as the Personal Information Controller. Once registration is finalized, this policy will be updated to reflect the registered legal entity details.

By using our services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Profile photo
  • Location information (city, barangay)
  • Service categories and descriptions
  • Professional certifications and experience
  • Verification documents (for providers)

2.2 Sensitive Personal Information

For provider verification, we may process government-issued IDs and similar supporting records that may be considered sensitive personal information under applicable law. We process these only for legitimate verification, fraud prevention, and safety purposes, with strict access controls.

2.3 Facebook Login Information

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Profile picture
  • Public profile information you have made available
  • Information you explicitly grant permission to access

You may manage these permissions in your Facebook account settings at any time.

2.4 Usage Information

  • Job requests and service bookings
  • Reviews and ratings
  • Messages between users
  • Platform usage analytics
  • Device and browser information

2.5 Estimator and Document Generation Data

When you use the Renovation Estimator and document generator, input values are processed temporarily to produce estimates and downloadable templates. During the free beta phase, template download access is linked to provider account status, but generated document files are not retained after delivery.

3. How We Use Your Information

  • Create and manage user accounts
  • Verify service providers and enhance platform safety
  • Facilitate service requests and bookings
  • Enable communication between users
  • Improve user experience and platform performance
  • Send important account notifications
  • Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
  • Comply with legal obligations

Financial calculators available on the platform are for informational and estimation purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

  • Contractual Necessity: To provide marketplace services and fulfill service requests
  • Consent: For optional data, public listings, cookies, and social login permissions
  • Legitimate Interests: To enhance security, prevent abuse, and improve services
  • Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell personal information.

5.1 With Other Users

Public profile data that providers explicitly choose to share.

5.2 With Service Providers / Processors

We may use third-party services including:

  • Google Cloud / Firebase (hosting infrastructure)
  • Google Analytics (usage analytics, if enabled)
  • Google AdSense (advertising services, if enabled)
  • Facebook OAuth (social login integration)

These providers process data under contractual safeguards, including data processing terms, access controls, and security obligations.

5.3 Legal Compliance

When required by law, court order, or regulatory authority.

5.4 Business Transfers

In connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of assets.

6. International Data Transfers

We use cloud service providers that may process data outside the Philippines. Where applicable, we implement contractual and technical safeguards to protect personal data during cross-border transfers, including encryption, role-based access controls, and secure transfer mechanisms.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest
  • Secure authentication and access controls
  • Regular security updates and monitoring
  • Secure cloud infrastructure

In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and interests, we will notify affected users and, where required, the National Privacy Commission, in accordance with applicable law.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law.

Typical retention categories include:

  • Account profile data: Retained while account is active and deleted or anonymized upon verified deletion request
  • Provider verification records: Retained for verification integrity, fraud prevention, and legal compliance periods
  • Messages, bookings, and reviews: Retained for service continuity, dispute handling, and platform integrity
  • Security and system logs: Retained for monitoring, abuse prevention, and incident response

Upon verified deletion request, account data is deleted or anonymized within 30 days. Certain information may be retained if required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

Generated estimator documents follow a zero-storage policy: files are created on demand, delivered immediately, and are not permanently stored by PinoyLokal for later retrieval.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use essential cookies required for authentication and platform functionality.

If non-essential analytics or advertising cookies are enabled, we will request user consent and provide opt-out mechanisms where required. Third-party services such as Google Analytics and Google AdSense may use cookies and similar technologies to collect usage data.

10. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under the Data Privacy Act of 2012, you have the right to:

  • Right to be Informed: Know how and why your personal data is processed
  • Access: Request a copy of your personal data
  • Correction: Correct inaccurate or outdated information
  • Deletion or Blocking: Request deletion, suspension, withdrawal, or blocking of personal data in applicable cases
  • Data Portability: Obtain your data in a portable format
  • Withdraw Consent: Revoke previously granted permissions
  • Object: Object to processing in certain circumstances
  • Damages: Seek compensation if your rights are violated
  • Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with the National Privacy Commission

To exercise your rights, contact us using the details in Section 14. We may request reasonable identity verification before processing requests and typically respond within 15 business days.

11. Data Deletion Instructions

To delete your account:

  1. Log into your PinoyLokal account
  2. Navigate to Profile > Privacy & Account
  3. Submit a deletion request and confirm by typing "DELETE"

Your account and associated personal data will be permanently deleted within 30 days after verification.

Alternatively, you may contact us at support@pinoylokal.com.

12. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a minor without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete such information.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

If we make material changes, we will:

  • Update the "Last Updated" date
  • Post the revised policy on this page
  • Provide an in-app notice or email notification where appropriate

Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Facebook Data Deletion (Login)

If you signed up using Facebook Login, you can request deletion of data associated with Facebook integration by using the account deletion flow in Section 11 or by emailing support@pinoylokal.com.

You may also disconnect Facebook login at any time via Facebook Settings > Apps and Websites > PinoyLokal > Remove.

14. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, you may contact:

support@pinoylokal.com is the designated contact channel for privacy and data subject requests until a separate Data Protection Officer contact is published. For privacy requests, please include your account email and sufficient details so we can verify and process your request securely.

PinoyLokal is committed to protecting the privacy and security of all users in accordance with Philippine law.