Terms of Use

Version 1.0 · Draft, not yet in force · Privacy Policy

These terms are a draft. They are awaiting adoption by the Board of Trustees and review by the Association's counsel. Highlighted text marks details still to be confirmed.

1. About these terms

These terms govern your use of the PHILKOFA members' portal at kofaph.jothamhernandez.com and the KOFA PH mobile app (together, "the portal"), run by the Philippine KOICA Fellows Association, Inc. ("PHILKOFA", "we"). By creating an account or using the portal you agree to these terms, to our Privacy Policy, and to the Association's By-Laws and the policies adopted under them. Where these terms and the By-Laws differ, the By-Laws prevail.

2. Accounts and membership

Anyone may read the public pages. An account is for Filipino participants in KOICA-sponsored academic and training programmes who are 18 or older.
Creating an account submits an application. The membership committee confirms your KOICA participation before your membership record is activated. Some features, such as the directory, publications and proposals, are open only to active and honorary members.
One account per person. What you tell us must be true and about you, and you should keep it up to date.
Keep your password to yourself and sign out of shared devices. You are responsible for what is done through your account. Tell us at once at contact@philkofa.org.ph if you think someone else has used it.
An app sign-in lasts up to 180 days on that device unless you sign out sooner.

3. Fees and payments

Active membership requires a one-time membership fee of PHP 500.00, or such amount as the Board sets. The portal does not take payments. You pay by bank deposit, GCash, Maya, cash or cheque, then record the payment in the portal with its reference number and a photo of the receipt. A payment counts once the Treasurer has verified it.

Recording a payment you did not make is grounds for suspension. Refunds: [the Association's refund policy, or "fees are non-refundable"].

4. Using the member directory

The directory exists so members can find and reach one another for the Association's purposes and for professional fellowship. Use other members' details for those purposes only. You may not:

send advertising, sales offers, chain messages or bulk messages;
copy, export or compile directory information, or pass it to anyone outside the Association;
use it to harass anyone, or contact a member who has asked you not to.

What other members see of you is up to you, through your directory settings.

5. What you contribute

"Contributions" means anything you add to the portal: your photo and biography, publications and authorship claims, project proposals and their documents, votes, offers of help, and messages.

You keep ownership of your contributions. You give PHILKOFA a non-exclusive, royalty-free permission to store them, show them to the members and officers entitled to see them, and use them for the Association's own non-commercial purposes, such as committee review and reports to the Board. The permission ends when you remove the contribution or your account is closed, except for records the Association keeps under its retention periods. We will ask before using a contribution outside the Association.
You confirm that you have the right to share what you upload, and that it does not infringe anyone's copyright or reveal information you are bound to keep confidential.
Credit others fairly. Authorship claims and proposal teams must reflect who actually did the work. The publications committee may ask for evidence, and may decline or remove a claim.
Upload other people's personal information only where it is needed and you are entitled to share it.
We may remove a contribution that breaks these terms, and will tell you why.

Proposals. Submitting a proposal, or winning members' votes, does not guarantee that the Association will endorse, fund or carry it out. Endorsement is decided by the projects committee and the Board under the Association's rules.

6. Recognition points

Points recognise members' credentials and engagement. They are awarded under rules the Association publishes and may change, and may be considered for recognition, awards and [eligibility for office, as the By-Laws provide]. Points have no cash value, cannot be transferred or exchanged, and may be corrected if awarded in error. If you think yours are wrong, write to the membership committee.

7. Acceptable use

When using the portal, do not:

give false information, pretend to be someone else, or misstate your KOICA programme or credentials;
post anything unlawful, defamatory, obscene or hateful, or anything that invades someone's privacy;
try to reach information or functions your account is not allowed to use;
test or probe the portal's security without the Association's written permission. If you notice a problem, please report it to contact@philkofa.org.ph;
upload harmful software, or use automated tools to copy content or overload the portal;
use the portal for commercial or political campaigning.

We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms or the By-Laws. Where the By-Laws provide a process for disciplining members, we will follow it. You may close your account at any time by writing to dpo@philkofa.org.ph.

8. Our name, and KOICA's

The PHILKOFA name and marks belong to the Association. Do not use them in a way that suggests the Association endorses you or your work without written permission.

PHILKOFA is an independent association of KOICA alumni. The portal is not operated or endorsed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency. The KOICA name and marks belong to KOICA, and references to KOICA on the portal describe members' programmes, not any partnership or endorsement.

9. Availability and liability

The portal is maintained largely by volunteers. We aim to keep it running and accurate, but provide it as it is. We do not promise it will always be available or free of errors, and we may change or withdraw features. Keep your own copies of anything important you upload.

As far as Philippine law allows, PHILKOFA and its officers are not liable for indirect or consequential loss arising from use of the portal, or for what members do with information they obtain through it. Nothing in these terms limits liability for fraud or gross negligence, anything else that cannot be limited by law, or your rights under the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

10. Governing law and changes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. Any dispute will be brought before the proper courts of Taguig City. We would like to settle any disagreement amicably first, so please write to us before taking it further.

We may update these terms. We will give members at least 30 days' notice of any significant change by email and in the portal. Continuing to use the portal after that date means you accept the new terms.

Contact: Philippine KOICA Fellows Association, Inc., 7/F Del Rosario Law Centre, 21st Drive cor. 20th Drive, BGC, Taguig City · contact@philkofa.org.ph · +63.2.403.9780