MANILA - Google and Viber said Tuesday they launched initiatives to support the Philippines' efforts against the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Search and marketing giant Google recently launched its Community Mobility Report where "anonymized and aggregated" data of people's movements can be analyzed, said Google Philippines head of Government Affairs and Public Policy Yves Gonzalez.

The report identified whether Filipinos are staying at home or if they frequent grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants, Gonzalez said.

"Ito ay isang paraan ng Google para magamit ang big data para makatulong sa gobyerno na maintindihan ang galaw ng mga Pilipino," he said.

(This is Google's way of using big data to help the government understand the movements of Filipinos).

Routes of the free shuttle buses for frontliners and select COVID-19 testing centers can also be found on Google Maps, he said.

The entire Luzon, home to half the Philippines' 100 million people, was locked down on March 17 to stop the spread of COVID-19. The quarantine was extended 18 days to April 30.

Messaging platform Viber partnered with the Department of Health for a public messaging community in a bid to fight fake news, said senior director for Business Development APAC Anubhav Nayyar.

"People don’t really know what is the authentic source of information that’s why we partnered with the Department of health which now has an official community where anybody from the Philippines can join," Nayyar said.

The DOH verified community viber group now has over 1.2 million member.