Privacy Policy

Equicom Savings Bank Privacy Statement

Equicom Savings Bank (EqB) as well as its representatives and/or agents (collectively referred to herein as “EqB”, “us”, “we” or “our”) fully commit to protect your right to privacy, to keep confidential your personal information and use it strictly in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012, its Implementing Rules and Regulations as well as other issuances by the National Privacy Commission.

This Privacy Statement shall serve to guide you on what types of information we collect and how we process the information required from you when you access our website and/or apply for and avail of any of our products and services.

Data Protection Policies

A. Definitions:

“Data subject” refers to any individual whose personal, sensitive personal, or privileged information is processed.

“Processing” refers to any operation or any set of operations performed upon personal data including, but not limited to, the collection, recording, organization, storage, updating or modification, retrieval, consultation, use, consolidation, blocking, erasure or destruction of data. Processing may be performed through automated means, or manual processing, if the personal data are contained or are intended to be contained in a filing system.

“Direct marketing” refers to communication by whatever means of any advertising or marketing material which is directed to particular individuals.

“Profiling” refers to any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location or movements.

“Data sharing” is the disclosure or transfer to a third party of personal data under the custody of a personal information controller or personal information processor. In the case of the latter, such disclosure or transfer must have been upon the instructions of the personal information controller concerned. The term excludes outsourcing or the disclosure or transfer of personal data by a personal information controller to a personal information processor.

B. Data Collection

Collection of personal data shall be for declared, specified and legitimate purpose/s and shall be with your prior consent, as data subject, unless otherwise provided by existing laws and regulations.
You shall be provided with specific information as regards the purpose/s and extent of processing including automatic processing of your personal data, or processing for direct marketing, profiling and data sharing.

Consent shall be subject to the following conditions:

1. 1. 1. 1. Consent shall be in writing, in electronic or recorded means. It may also be given on behalf of the data subject by an agent specifically authorized by the data subject to do so;
         2. Consent shall be time-bound in relation to the declared, specified and legitimate purpose;
         3. Consent given may be withdrawn.

C. Processing of Personal Information

1. 1. Personal information refers to any information, whether recorded in a material form or not, from which the identity of an individual is apparent or can be reasonably and directly ascertained by the entity holding the information or, when put together with other information, would directly and certainly identifying an individual.Processing of personal information includes obtaining, recording, storing information and carrying out any operations on the data, including adaptation, alteration, use, disclosure, transfer, erasure and destruction. This applies to all personal data that EqB obtains and stores relating to its customer/s and employee/s. This may include information about an identifiable individual, as follows:

      Personal Descriptors	Name, age, place of birth, date of birth, gender, weight, height, eye color, hair color, fingerprint
      Identification Numbers	SSS/GSIS/TIN; Deposit Account numbers; Credit Card numbers
      Ethnicity	Race, color, nationality or ethnic origin
      Financial	Income, loan records, transactions, purchases, and spending
      Employment	Employee files, employment history, evaluations, reference interviews, disciplinary actions
      Credit	Credit records, creditworthiness, credit standing, credit capacity
      Criminal record	Convictions, charges
      Life	Social status, marital status, religion
      Education	Education history, school records

   2. Sensitive personal information refers to personal information about an individual’s a) race, ethnic origin, marital status, age, color and religious, philosophical or political affiliations; b) health, education, genetic or sexual life of a person, or to any proceeding for any offense committed or alleged to have been committed by such individual, the disposal of such proceedings, or the sentence of any court in such proceedings; c) issued by government agencies peculiar to an individual which includes, but is not limited to, social security numbers, previous or current health records, licenses or its denials, suspension or revocation, and tax returns, and; d) specifically established by an executive order or an act of Congress to be kept classified.
   3. Privileged information refers to any and all forms of data which, under the Rules of Court and other pertinent laws, constitute privileged communication.
      The processing of sensitive personal information and privileged information shall be prohibited, except in the following cases:
      1. There is consent from the data subject and/or all parties to the exchange have given their consent prior to processing;
      2. Processing is provided for by existing laws and regulations; provided, that said laws and regulations do not require the consent of the data subject for the processing, and guarantee the protection of the sensitive personal information and the privileged information;
      3. The processing concerns sensitive personal information or privileged information necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of natural or legal persons in court proceedings, or the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or when provided to government or public authority pursuant to a constitutional or statutory mandate.

D. Access and Use of Personal Information

EqB collects your personal information for our own use and which we may share with any of our accredited affiliates or authorized third parties, including related companies, third-party providers and service providers, for any of the following reasons:

1. 1. 1. 1. Use of the services and access to the platform;
         2. To furnish you with information that we deem useful for you or information you may have asked us to provide you with, which will also cover information about our services and third-party vendors, as long as you have stated that you do not have any objection in case you are contacted for this purpose;
         3. From time to time, there will be calls made to offer you promotional deals and marketing material regarding our services and products;
         4. Review of your credit standing and conduct risk analysis.

Sharing of your personal information may be required to complete a transaction with you, address and handle your account, for referrals, references, for sales and marketing purposes, cross-selling offers and for any legal or regulatory needs or requests, as needed.  When we share your personal information with our accredited affiliates and/or authorized third parties, we ensure that these accredited affiliates and/or authorized third parties will keep all personal information secured from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure that may pose risk and harm to your account. These accredited affiliates and/or authorized third parties may retain and keep your personal information only for as long as it is needed to accomplish any or all of the above-mentioned purposes. 

EqB, in the event that your personal information is requested to be disclosed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Credit Information Corporation, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and/or the National Privacy Commission or upon requests of any tribunal or lawful orders of the court, shall accede to it.

EqB shall not and is not in the business of selling the personal information of its customer/client.

E. How We Store, Retain, and Dispose Personal Information

1.  EqB ensures that all personal data under its custody are protected against any accidental or unlawful destruction, alteration and disclosure as well as against unlawful processing. Appropriate security measures in storing collected personal information are observed, depending on the nature of information.
   
   1. For the fulfillment of the declared, specified and legitimate purpose or when the processing relevant to the purpose has been terminated
   2. For the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims
   3. For legitimate business purposes, this must be consistent with standards followed by the applicable industry or approved by an appropriate government agency
2. Personal data shall not be retained longer than necessary. Personal data shall be retained until the duration of your business relationship with us and/or until the expiration of the retention limits set by EqB, industry standards and applicable laws and regulations.
3. Personal data shall be disposed or discarded in a secured manner that would prevent further processing, unauthorized access, or disclosure to any other party or the public, or prejudice your interest. 
4. EqB shall proceed to further process your personal information only when authorized and always subject to adequate safeguards.
   
   1. Personal information originally collected for a declared, specified or legitimate purpose may be processed further for historical, statistical, or scientific purposes and in cases laid down in law, may be stored for longer periods, subject to implementation of the appropriate organizational, physical and technical security measures required by the Act in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of the data subject;
   2. Personal data which is aggregated or kept in a form which does not permit the identification of data subjects may be kept longer than necessary for the declared, specified and legitimate purpose
   3. Personal data shall not be retained in perpetuity in contemplation of a possible future use yet to be determined.
5. Disclosure of personal information shall be limited to authorized employees and/or personnel of EqB and shall only be on a need-to-know basis. All employees and personnel of EqB to whom disclosure was made shall maintain the confidentiality and secrecy of all personal information that may come to their knowledge and possession, even after their resignation or the termination of their contractual relations with EqB. 

F. Your Rights to Your Personal Information

We uphold your rights in relation to your personal information. 

1. 1. 1. The Right to be Informed. You have the right to know whether information personal to you shall be, are being or have been processed, and whether the processing is partly or wholly automatic. In cases where the collection of personal information shall be done over a period of time, including automatic collection of categories of data, you will be notified in clear and simple language of the following facts, and your express consent will be obtained prior to the processing:
         1. Purpose of the processing and the legal basis for the processing;
         2. Recipients or categories of recipients of the personal data;
         3. Details of transfers to a third party and its safeguards;
         4. Retention period or criteria used to determine the retention period
         5. The right to withdraw consent at any time where relevant
         6. The right to lodge a complaint and where to lodge the complaint;
         7. Whether the personal data is part of a requirement or obligation and possible consequences of failing to provide the personal data;
         8. The existence of automated decision making, including profiling and information about how decisions are made, its significance and consequences.
      2. The Right to Object. You shall be notified and given an opportunity to object or withhold your consent to processing in case of changes or any amendment to the information supplied or declared to you in accordance with the preceding paragraph unless the change refers to the processing of personal information in the following cases:
         
         1. The personal information is needed pursuant to a subpoena;
         2. When the collection and processing are for obvious purposes, including when it is necessary for the performance of or in relation to a contract or service to which the data subject is a party or when necessary or desirable in the context of an employer-employee relationship between the collector and the data  subject; or
         3. When the information is being collected and processed as a result of a legal obligation
      3. The Right to Access. You shall be allowed to have access to the following in order that you may verify the lawfulness of the processing
         1. Contents of your personal information that were processed; 
         2. Sources from which your personal information were obtained;
         3. Names and addresses of recipients of your personal information; 
         4. Manner which such personal information were processed, 
         5. Reasons for the disclosure of your personal information to recipients, if any;
         6. Information on automated processes where the personal information will or likely to be made as the sole basis for any decision which would significantly affect you;
         7. Date when your personal information were last accessed and modified, and;
         8. The designation or name or identity and address of the personal information controller.
      4. The Right to Correct. You are entitled to dispute any inaccuracy or error in your personal information and have us correct it immediately and accordingly unless the request is vexatious or otherwise unreasonable. Accredited affiliates and/or authorized third parties who have previously received such processed personal information shall be informed of its inaccuracy and its rectification upon your reasonable request.
      5. The Right to Erasure or Blocking. You have the right to suspend, withdraw or order the blocking, removal or destruction of your personal information from our filing system. You may also request that accredited affiliates and/or authorized third parties who have previously received such processed personal information be similarly advised. This right may be exercised upon discovery and substantial proof that the personal information is: (a) incomplete, outdated, false, or unlawfully obtained; (b) being used for purpose not authorized by you; (c) no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected; (d) prejudicial to you unless it is a matter of public concern, part of fair and true reporting or otherwise justified, or; (e) there was a violation of any of your rights as data subject.
      6. The Right to be Indemnified. You shall be indemnified for any damages sustained due to such inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, false, unlawfully obtained or unauthorized use of your personal information or any injury that may have been incurred due to a violation of your rights and freedoms as the data subject.

G. Updating Information

Our Equicom 24/7 Customer Service is available and may be contacted at (632) 8241-5952 or (632) 8241-6711 for any information you may want to amend.

H. Changes to the Data Protection Policy

The Data Protection Policy may vary overtime and will be updated based on the current development and general movement of the industry. It will also adapt to any changes in the legal or regulatory requirements. We will make sure that the EqB Data Protection Policy shall be at par with the predominant industry standards and that you are bound by terms and conditions of the Data Protection Policy.  

EqB from time to time shall re-evaluate the Privacy Policy and amend if necessary. We reserve the right to modify accordingly the content of the policy at anytime.

I. Customer’s Obligation

A responsible customer will protect his or her information at all cost. Information pertaining to the credit card number, account numbers both savings and current, account details, PIN from ATM to online access are not supposed to be disclosed to whoever. More so, password and access to account should not be written down where it may be seen and known to others. Personalize passwords and periodically change them for your security and protection. 

For any concern or feedback regarding your personal information or on the Data Privacy Policy, you may visit our official website or contact our customer care center. You may also reach us through our Data Protection Officer.

Data Protection Officer
Equicom Savings Bank
6th Floor ODC International Plaza
219 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City 1229
Telephone Number: (632) 8812-3861
Fax Number: (632) 8812-2675
Email Address: dpo@equicomsavings.com.ph