If I only met TARA last year.
We were running late for an event in Cubao and decided to take the MRT despite the chaotic rush hour. The first train was packed like sardines so we opted to wait for the next train.
Now, I never take my phone out when I’m at the MRT because, I was quite aware that there were a lot of pickpockets just surveying for their next victim.
But this time I had to text Rodel, of NognogintheCity who we were also meeting. I had been trying to call and text him but his phone couldn’t be reached. As soon as the next train arrived I put the phone and my hands inside my pockets. Everyone was trying to push forward and as the doors opened I felt not just one but two hands–on either side of my pockets– pulling out my both my phones. I even got the chance to grab one of the hands just before I felt my Samsung S5 slip away. I had let go as I felt another trying to pull out my other phone.
All I could do was scream some expletives and push everyone, hoping to spot the culprit, but since it was very packed I wasn’t able to see if the pickpocket went inside the train or stayed behind.
I later learned that the reason why I couldn’t reach Rodel was because his phone also got stolen at the Shaw Boulevard station, talk about shitty coincidence.
Since then I’ve never rode the MRT during rush hours or even when I see a lot of people already crowding on the platform. I don’t know about the MRT, but statistics show that almost 41 percent of Filipinos have experienced phone theft* and the first thing you’d probably hear from your friends or even the authorities is “at least you didn’t get hurt.” as if that is any consolation.
But why should we accept that getting robbed is just a part of life, much like corruption, traffic, and crappy government service. Its the rationale behind the development of TARA or (Theft Alarm and Recovery Application) an APP developed by Jun Lozada, that could just put a stop to cellphone theft as it will render any stolen phone unusable.
I knew Mr. Lozada as the Whistleblower in that infamous ZTE brouhaha, but what I didnt know was that he has been inventing a lot of apps that all seek to bring some kind of justice to Pinoys.
Lozada is technology and communication expert who serves as the president and CEO of Galileo Software Services. He is an electronics and communications engineer by profession who served as technical consultant to the Philippine Socio-Economic Planning Secretary.
“Every year, thousands of Filipinos lose this piece of personal property that not only costs money but also contains valuable information that includes phone numbers, photos, videos, access to emails, personal accounts and even credit card data,” Lozada said during the launch of TARA last week in Ortigas.
Lozada said he was inspired to create the app when he came across a tragic news story about a boy who got stabbed when he refused to give his phone to a thief who held up the tricycle he was riding.
The phone was a graduation gift from his mom, who washes clothes for a living and saved up money to buy his son a phone. Two months later, that phone would cost him his life.
“Nang napanood ko yun hanggang ngayo pag naaalala ko yun, grabe ang tama sa akin. ‘Di katanggap tanggap na isang bata na napaganda pa ng future at dahil lang sa isang cellphone ay namatay. Immediately, i started getting into my advocacy,” Lozada shared.
Lozada shared he found time to develop the app while he was staying with the nuns in a convent during the height of the CCTV scandal under Arroyo administration.
“When a person is a victim of mobile phone theft, it leaves him or her feeling helpless. It can be a traumatic experience where the victim often feels as if he has been violated. There are also deaths that have been attributed to robbery attempts. Hold-up and ‘snatching’ incidents have been a commonplace scenario in our streets,” he added. Inc.
“We need to feel safe whenever we go out. This is why we developed TARA (Theft Alarm and Recovery Application). It is like a seatbelt for your mobile phone. As our tagline says… No mobile phone/device should be worth a life, not even a scratch.”
And with most smartphone users using their phones to access almost all personal and professional data, now more than ever, the need to protect one’s self is at its highest. The subscription to TARA is a small price to pay for one’s peace of mind.
Telco-enabled, works without Internet or cell phone load
TARA aims to prevent mobile phone theft with its kill switch feature that makes it unusable by thieves and their resellers. It is the first of its kind in the country/ possibly in Asia and the world. What makes TARA the perfect protector in the Philippine scenario is that it works even without wi-fi access, internet data, or cell phone load.
It is the first and only telco-enabled kill switch that protects the users, their phones and their phones contents in any situation.
It also calls attention to the thief by screaming “magnanakaw! magnanakaw!” when it is activated.
The Back-up and Restore feature lets owners back-up their contacts which they can restore later on, even on a different phone. They can also upgrade this feature to back-up photos, videos and more files.
Soon with TARA, mobile phone owners can use the Red Button feature that they can engage in order to send out a notification to a prearranged contact number. It is the go-to SOS button designed to protect phone owners. Activate the Red Button to enable the floater (which works even when the phone is locked), and hold it for 3-4 seconds to send an SOS message, with a time stamp and location, to one’s emergency contact.
To avail of the TARA protection, android mobile phone users can download the app on Google Play and register their basic information. After a free-30 day subscription, they are given the option to renew their protection with affordable rates of P15 weekly, P50 monthly or P500 yearly.
“With the launch of the TARA app, we can offer a solution to the alarming cell phone theft situation in the country. TARA is the first of its kind level of security that enables the user to lock his phone entirely rendering it useless to a thief. It also provides the service of tracking its current location as well as wiping out and recovering its contents,” Lozada says.
“We Filipinos may feel helpless about other things such as the worsening traffic or the country’s economic and political situation, but with the sense of security that even ordinary citizens can get from this app, they will not feel as helpless about the protection of something that is very personal for them.” 
To know more about TARA, you can visit the TARA website at www.tara.com.ph . For inquiries about the app you may call the TARA Hotline : LANDLINE – 656 – 8272.
