Terms of Service · LGU ARMS

These Terms govern your use of the Archiving and Records Management System (LGU-ARMS) of the Municipality of Bay, Laguna, including the web portal and the mobile application. By registering for or signing in to an account, you agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree, do not use the system.

1. Who may use the system

LGU-ARMS is an internal government system, not a public service. Access is limited to officials and staff of the Municipality of Bay, Laguna and its barangays who have an official need to use it.

Every account requires approval by an authorized administrator. Submitting a registration does not entitle you to access.
Accounts are issued to a named individual, never to an office, a group, or a shared mailbox.
Your account is tied to a role and, for barangay users, to a specific barangay. This determines what you may view and do.
Access ends when your official function ends. You must notify the administrator when you leave your post or change assignment.

2. Your account

On approval you receive a temporary password by email, which the system requires you to change the first time you sign in. You are responsible for everything done through your account. Specifically, you agree to:

Keep your password confidential and never share your credentials with anyone, including superiors and IT staff.
Choose a password that is not reused from another service.
Sign out on shared or public devices.
Report suspected compromise immediately to the system administrator.
Keep your profile information accurate and current.

Every action in LGU-ARMS is recorded in an audit trail against the account that performed it. Sharing your credentials makes you accountable for what another person does under your name.

3. Acceptable use

You must use the system only for legitimate official purposes. You must not:

Access, download, or disclose records you have no official reason to handle.
Alter, backdate, fabricate, or delete any record in a manner that misrepresents official proceedings.
Attempt to bypass authentication, escalate your privileges, or reach another barangay's or department's data.
Probe, scan, or test the system's security without written authorization from the LGU.
Upload malware, or any file whose purpose is to disrupt or gain unauthorized access.
Use automated tools to bulk-extract records from the system.
Disclose personal information obtained through the system in violation of RA 10173.
Publish or forward records that are confidential, deliberative, or not yet finalized.

Misuse carries real consequences

Unauthorized access to a government computer system and the falsification of public documents are punishable under RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act), the Revised Penal Code, and RA 10173, in addition to administrative liability under civil service rules.

4. Status of records in the system

LGU-ARMS is the LGU's system of record for the documents it holds. However:

A document becomes official only when it has been approved and finalized through the system's approval workflow. Drafts and pending items carry no official effect.
Where a signed physical copy exists and differs from the electronic record, the signed physical copy prevails unless the LGU has formally adopted the electronic version as authoritative.
Certified true copies remain the responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan. A screen, a print-out, or a PDF exported from this system is not by itself a certified copy.
The QR verification feature confirms only that a document exists in the registry as finalized. It is not a substitute for certification and it never discloses the document's contents.

5. AI-assisted features

The system offers optional AI assistance for drafting minutes and for searching records in natural language, provided through the Google Gemini API. By using them you accept that:

Output is a draft, never a record. AI-generated or AI-edited text has no official status until reviewed by the secretary and approved by the authorized officer.
AI can be wrong. Summaries may omit, distort, or invent detail. You are responsible for verifying every AI-assisted passage against the actual proceedings before submitting it.
Search results are an aid, not a certification of completeness. Absence of a result is not proof that no such record exists.
Content you submit leaves the system. The text you select is transmitted to Google for processing, as described in the Privacy Policy. Do not submit sensitive personal information.

6. Content you enter

Records you create in the course of your duties are official records of the LGU, not your personal property, and remain with the LGU after your account ends. You warrant that what you enter is accurate to the best of your knowledge and that you have the authority to enter it.

Works of the Government of the Philippines are not subject to copyright under Section 176 of the Intellectual Property Code (RA 8293). If you upload third-party material, you are responsible for having the right to do so.

7. Availability and support

The LGU aims to keep LGU-ARMS available at all times but provides no guarantee of uninterrupted service. Access may be suspended without prior notice for maintenance, upgrades, security response, or circumstances beyond the LGU's control. Features may be added, changed, or withdrawn as the LGU's requirements evolve.

The system is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. You are expected to keep independent official copies of critical records in accordance with the LGU's records management and archival policies.

8. Suspension and termination

The LGU may suspend or terminate an account, with or without notice, if:

These Terms are breached;
The account holder leaves their post, transfers, or no longer needs access;
The account appears compromised or is being used suspiciously;
Suspension is directed by lawful authority, or required to protect the system.

Termination of access does not remove the records you created or your entries in the audit trail. Those are preserved as part of the LGU's official archive.

9. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Municipality of Bay, Laguna, its officials, employees, and developers are not liable for indirect or consequential loss arising from use of or inability to use the system, including loss of data, loss of opportunity, or decisions made in reliance on unverified AI-assisted output. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability under RA 10173.

10. Privacy

Your use of LGU-ARMS is also governed by the Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms and explains what personal information the system handles and the rights you hold over it.

11. Changes to these Terms

These Terms may be revised as the system or the law changes. The effective date at the top of this page reflects the current version. Material changes will be announced in the system, and continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

12. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. Any dispute shall be brought before the proper courts of the Province of Laguna, without prejudice to administrative remedies under civil service rules or to proceedings before the National Privacy Commission.

13. Contact

For questions about these Terms, or to report misuse:

System Administrator: Office of the Secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan
Data Protection Officer: Aldwin John D. Quintos
Email: mayor@bay.gov.ph
Telephone: 0917-149-8993

LGU-ARMS · Archiving and Records Management System
Municipality of Bay, Laguna · Privacy · Terms