Last Updated: February 2026

1. Introduction

St. Peter’s College of Ormoc, Inc. is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal data of our students, parents, faculty, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173, also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA).

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide through our website, including but not limited to:

  • Contact Forms & Inquiries: Name, email address, and phone number.
  • Comments: When visitors leave comments, we collect the data shown in the comments form, the visitor’s IP address, and browser user agent string to assist in spam detection.
  • Media: If you upload images to the website, please ensure they do not contain embedded location data (EXIF GPS).
  • Academic Portals: For registered users, we process login credentials and profile information necessary for educational services.

3. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance user experience:

  • Convenience: If you leave a comment, you may opt-in to saving your details in cookies so you do not have to fill them in again. These last for one year.
  • Session Management: Temporary cookies are set on our login page to determine browser compatibility. These are discarded when the browser closes.
  • Authentication: When you log in, we set cookies to maintain your session and display choices. Login cookies last for two days; “Remember Me” sessions last for two weeks.

4. Purpose of Processing

We process your data for the following legitimate purposes:

  • To respond to inquiries and provide administrative support.
  • To maintain the security and integrity of our digital campus.
  • To comply with the reporting requirements of the Department of Education (DepEd) and/or the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

5. Data Retention

  • Website Interactions: Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely to recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.
  • Account Data: For registered users, personal information is stored in their user profiles. Users may view, edit, or delete their information at any time (except for usernames).
  • Institutional Records: Academic and administrative records are retained in accordance with the school’s Manual of Regulations and government retention schedules.

6. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell your personal data. Data may be shared only under the following conditions:

  • Technical Services: Automated spam detection for comments.
  • Embedded Content: Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos from YouTube). These third-party sites may collect data about you according to their own privacy policies.
  • Legal Necessity: When required by law or a valid government subpoena.

7. Use of Photographic and Video Imagery

7.1 Collection and Use of Images: The School regularly documents campus life, academic events, and extracurricular activities. We may post photographs or videos of students and faculty on our website and official social media accounts to:

  • Inform the community about school news and achievements.
  • Promote the school’s educational programs and events.
  • Maintain a historical record of the school’s institutional life.

7.2 Legal Basis for Processing: We process these images based on:

  • Legitimate Interest: For general group photos of school events, campus scenery, and public ceremonies.
  • Consent: For “Featured Content” where a student or teacher is the primary subject of a promotional post or marketing banner. For students under 18, we obtain consent from parents or legal guardians through the Annual Media Release Form provided during enrollment.

7.3 The “Right to Object” and Takedown Requests We respect the privacy of our community. If you are a teacher or a parent/guardian of a student and you find a photo on this website that you wish to be removed, you have the Right to Object.

  • Procedure: Simply email the Data Protection Officer at dpo@spcormoc.edu.ph with a link to the image or a description of the post.
  • Our Commitment: Upon receipt of a valid request, the School will remove or blur the identifiable image within 48–72 hours, no questions asked.

7.4 Third-Party Downloads While the School takes reasonable measures to protect our website, please be aware that the internet is a public space. We cannot be held responsible for the unauthorized downloading or sharing of images by third-party visitors once they are published on the website.

8. Your Rights as a Data Subject

In accordance with the DPA, you are entitled to the following rights:

  • Right to Be Informed: To know if your data is being processed.
  • Right to Access: To request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: To dispute and correct any inaccuracies in your data.
  • Right to Erasure or Blocking: To request the removal of your data from our systems.
  • Right to Object: To withhold consent for specific processing activities.
  • Right to Data Portability: To obtain your data in a structured, electronic format.
  • Right to Damages: To be indemnified for any damages sustained due to inaccurate or unauthorized use of data.
  • Right to File a Complaint: To lodge a concern with our DPO or the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

9. Contact Information

For any privacy concerns, requests for data access, or corrections, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

The Data Protection Officer St. Peter’s College of Ormoc, Inc. Cataag St. Brgy. South, Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines Email: dpo@spcormoc.edu.ph