WWW: Warranted Welfare Wishes

BY MYKEE ALLYANA SANTIAGO

Illuminating lights envelop the streets of Pampanga not only to conform to holiday cheer, but as a facet of modern establishments. Similarly, the province and its people’s beauty are prominent in broad daylight. With such palpable brilliance, no one would have fathomed that the bright domain still grew to be the site of heinous kidnapping cases.

Nearly trumping the shackles of the pandemic, heading and staying out is favored by the majority of today’s youth. Regrettably, night-outs are

Life360 coupled with risks of falling victim to all kinds of inconveniences, especially man-made dangers, courtesy of unfeeling predators and perpetrators. While their presence evokes fear and confinement, technology has furthered enough to offer combative measures that allow anyone of age, with a working smartphone and sufficient signal, a sense of ease and security anytime, anywhere.

Here are four (4) notable mobile safety apps which are currently available for download and use in the Philippines: bSafe bSafe is another safety application that lets users generate their own network of “guardians.” According to its developer, Bipper USA, Inc., its objective is to minimize sexual harassment cases and build a more comfortable environment for the community. Evidently enough, the software offers a variety of creatively efficient features such as a “Follow Me” option which invites family members and friends to monitor one’s trips, as well as an SOS alarm that blares emergency alerts. Moreover, a distinct and remarkable component of this app is its “Fake Call” feature which is programmed to aid the user in escaping uneasy instances. This free mobile app is available for both iOS and Android users.

Brought to prominence by the renowned social media application TikTok, Life360 promotes safety among family and trusted peers, whether one is a homebody or a socialite. After setting up your profile and creating customized private “circles,” this software serves as a locator, given that the users’ location services are enabled. Everyone in the circle is notified of real-time updates on others’ routes and whereabouts, even their driving speed and phone battery percentages. In addition, Life360 contains an emergency SOS button feature that alerts all connected users of the activator’s precise location. This free mobile app is available for both iOS and Android users.

WalkSafe+

Another GPS tracker-type safety application is WalkSafe+. Developed by Chaperhome Ltd., WalkSafe+ also allows trusted friends to observe the user’s travels. A unique feature of this program is its live map tailored from actual police crime statistics in the area. The WalkSafe Map highlights and alerts the user of local crime hotspots and reroutes towards a safer trail. There is also an SOS button for manual calls for further assistance. It also brings you the “HomeSafe” feature which allows the user to set an estimated time of arrival at home and automatically notifies one’s network of friends if arrival does not fall within the stipulated time frame. This free mobile app is available for both iOS and Android users.

Red Panic Button

Unique from the above-mentioned locator safety applications, Red Panic Button is simply, in the most obvious sense, a red panic button. Expounding further, this software developed by Ultimate Communication Software Ltd., enables users to reach their contacts via SMS, e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter during any emergency situation. With a single click, alerts are sent to the user’s phonebook and mail contacts, along with a real-time panic post or tweet. Red Panic Button is not only handy against potential harassers, but also during natural disasters and other fortuitous occurrences. This free mobile app is available for both iOS and Android users.

Life in general, be it within or beyond our homes, is bound to render us some menacing incidents. However, although danger tends to lurk among alleyways and sidewalks, this generation is not one to lie low and admit defeat. Instead, it is with a progressive mindset and earnest desire to build a more secure dwelling place that technology is manipulated to dispel our worries. These virtual bodyguards may not be the key to guaranteeing eternal safety, but they are definite proof that such a vision is attainable.