Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2026-10-12
This Privacy Policy explains how APOC Co., Ltd. ("APOC", "we", "us") collects, uses, stores, and shares personal information when you use markepinas.com ("the Site").
We operate the Site from Japan. Because the Site serves readers in the Philippines, we have designed this policy to meet the requirements of the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173), its Implementing Rules and Regulations, and the issuances of the National Privacy Commission (NPC), in addition to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information of Japan.
1. Who is responsible for your data
The personal information controller is:
APOC Co., Ltd.
Representative Director: Shunsuke Saito
Shirahato Mansion 306, 4-4-3 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0004, Japan
Email: support@apocc.co.jp
Our Data Protection Officer is Shunsuke Saito, Representative Director and CEO of APOC Co., Ltd. You can reach the Data Protection Officer at support@apocc.co.jp (subject line: "Data Protection Officer").
2. What we collect
We collect only the following categories of information:
a. Analytics data (Google Analytics 4), only with your consent. Google Analytics is turned off until you click "Accept" in the cookie banner. If you accept, Google Analytics 4 collects your approximate location (city level), device and browser type, pages viewed, referring site, and interaction events such as scrolling and outbound clicks. IP addresses are not logged or stored by Google Analytics 4. We do not use Google Signals or advertising features. You may withdraw your consent at any time via our Cookie Notice. If you decline or ignore the banner, no analytics data is collected.
b. Server and security logs. Our hosting provider (Vercel Inc.) and content delivery provider (Cloudflare, Inc.) automatically record your IP address, user agent, requested URL, and timestamp for security, abuse prevention, and troubleshooting.
b-2. Aggregate page-view counts. To show a "Popular Articles" list, we count how many times each article is viewed. This count is a single number per article per day. We do not store your IP address, cookies, device identifiers, or any other information that could identify you for this purpose.
c. Messages you send us. If you email us, we receive your name, email address, and the content of your message.
We do not offer user accounts, newsletters, comments, or advertising, and we do not collect payment information.
3. Why we process your data and on what basis
| Purpose | Data | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding how the Site is used and improving content | Analytics data | Your consent, given through the cookie banner |
| Keeping the Site secure and available | Server logs | Our legitimate interest; legal obligation to protect systems |
| Responding to your inquiry or correction request | Messages you send us | Performance of the request you made; our legitimate interest in editorial accuracy |
4. How long we keep your data
- Analytics data: 14 months (Google Analytics 4 data retention setting), after which it is deleted automatically.
- Server logs: up to 30 days at Vercel and Cloudflare, then deleted.
- Messages you send us: 24 months from your last message, unless a longer period is required to resolve a dispute or comply with law.
5. Who we share your data with
We share personal information only with service providers that process it on our behalf:
- Google LLC (Google Analytics 4) — United States
- Vercel Inc. (hosting) — United States, with functions executed in Singapore
- Cloudflare, Inc. (DNS, CDN, image delivery) — United States, global network
- Supabase, Inc. (database) — Singapore region
We do not sell personal information and do not share it with advertisers.
6. International transfers
Your personal information is transferred to and processed in Japan, where APOC Co., Ltd. is located, and in the countries listed in Section 5 (the United States and Singapore, and the global network of Cloudflare). The data protection laws of these countries may differ from those of the Philippines and Japan. Each service provider processes the data only on our behalf under a contract that requires it to protect the data, and APOC Co., Ltd. remains responsible for the data it transfers. On request, we will tell you more about these providers and the measures they take; contact us as described in Section 12.
7. Your rights as a data subject
Under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 you have the right to:
- be informed about how your data is processed;
- access the personal information we hold about you;
- object to processing, including processing for direct marketing (we do none);
- request erasure or blocking of your data where it is incomplete, outdated, false, unlawfully obtained, or no longer necessary;
- request rectification of inaccurate data;
- data portability, where applicable;
- be indemnified for damages sustained due to inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, false, unlawfully obtained, or unauthorized use of personal information; and
- lodge a complaint with the National Privacy Commission (privacy.gov.ph).
To exercise these rights, email support@apocc.co.jp. We will respond within 15 business days. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on your request.
8. Cookies
The Site uses one functional cookie (ga-consent) that records your choice in the cookie banner, and, only if you accept, the cookies set by Google Analytics 4 (_ga, _ga_*). See the Cookie Notice.
9. Children
The Site is a general-audience news site and is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
10. Security
We protect personal information with organizational, personnel, physical, and technical measures, including:
- encrypted connections (HTTPS) to the Site and between our systems;
- an administration area that only our administrator and the editors we authorize can sign in to, with individual accounts and passwords; editors cannot see messages from readers or analytics data;
- handling of personal information only by staff who need it for the purposes in Section 3; and
- reputable infrastructure providers with their own security programs, chosen after considering the data protection environment of the countries where they process data (Section 6).
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a personal data breach occurs that requires notification, we will notify the National Privacy Commission, the Personal Information Protection Commission of Japan, and affected individuals as the law requires.
11. Changes
We may update this policy. The "Last updated" date at the top will change, and material changes will be noted on this page for 30 days.
12. Contact
APOC Co., Ltd. — Data Protection Officer
support@apocc.co.jp
Shirahato Mansion 306, 4-4-3 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0004, Japan