Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Maasin City Online (“we”, “us”, “our”), which operates the website maasin.city (the “Site”), collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information. We are committed to handling your data responsibly and in accordance with theData Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173) of the Philippines and its implementing rules.

By using the Site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information we collect

We collect information you give us directly, and some information automatically when you use the Site.

Information you provide

• Account details — when you register, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and a password (which we store in encrypted/hashed form, never in plain text).
• Listing submissions — if you submit a business, place, event, property, or service listing, we collect the details and images you provide, including any contact information you choose to publish.
• Enquiries and ownership claims — when you send an enquiry or claim a listing, we collect your name, email, phone number, your message, and your IP address (to help prevent abuse).
• Marketplace orders — when you place an order, we collect your billing and delivery details (name, address, email, phone) and the items ordered. Payments are made through manual channels (e.g. GCash, Maya, bank transfer, or cash on delivery); we do not collect or store card numbers on the Site.

Information collected automatically

• Usage and device data — we use Google Analytics 4 and Vercel Web Analytics to understand how the Site is used. These collect information such as pages visited, device and browser type, referring pages, and approximate location derived from your IP address, using cookies and similar identifiers.
• Search queries — to power our smart search, the words you type into search may be sent to a third-party AI service to find relevant results. We do not attach your identity to these queries.

2. How we use your information

• To create and manage your account and publish the listings you submit;
• To pass enquiries and orders to the relevant listing owner or seller so they can respond to you;
• To send you transactional messages (e.g. account, enquiry, and order notifications);
• To operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site and prevent fraud or abuse;
• To understand usage through analytics; and
• To comply with legal obligations.

3. Legal bases for processing

We process personal data on one or more of the following bases under the Data Privacy Act: your consent; the performance of a contract with you (such as fulfilling an order); our legitimate interestsin running and improving the Site; and compliance with legal obligations.

4. Cookies and analytics

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies, mainly for analytics (Google Analytics 4 and Vercel Web Analytics) and to keep you signed in. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings, and you can opt out of Google Analytics using Google’s opt-out browser add-on. Disabling cookies may affect some features, such as staying logged in.

5. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed to run the Site:

• With listing owners and sellers — when you send an enquiry or place an order, the relevant details are shared with that business so they can respond to or fulfil your request.
• With service providers — we rely on trusted providers to operate the Site, including Vercel (hosting), our content platform host, Brevo (email delivery), Google (analytics), and an AI service (search). These providers process data on our behalf.
• For legal reasons — where required by law, regulation, legal process, or a valid request from a public authority.

Some of these providers may process data on servers located outside the Philippines. Where that happens, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information continues to be protected.

6. Data retention

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for the purposes described here — for example, while your account is active, or as long as necessary to keep records of enquiries and orders and to meet legal or accounting requirements. When it is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it.

7. How we protect your information

We use reasonable organisational, physical, and technical safeguards — including HTTPS encryption in transit, hashed passwords, access controls, and rate limiting — to protect your data. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your rights

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

• be informed about how your data is processed;
• access the personal data we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or outdated data;
• request erasure or blocking of your data in certain circumstances;
• object to processing;
• request data portability; and
• be indemnified for damages and to lodge a complaint with the National Privacy Commission.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@maasin.city. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

9. Children’s privacy

The Site is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors without appropriate parental or guardian consent. If you believe a minor has provided us information, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

10. Third-party links

Listings and pages on the Site may link to external websites and social media pages that we do not control. This policy does not apply to those sites, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their policies before providing any information.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Significant changes will be made clear on the Site.

12. Contact us

If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact us at:

Maasin City Online
Email: hello@maasin.city
Maasin City, Southern Leyte 6600, Philippines

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Privacy Commission of the Philippines (privacy.gov.ph).