Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 22, 2025

Welcome to Aurora.ph! We are your trusted guide to Aurora’s wild heart, and we are committed to being transparent about how we collect, use, and protect your information. Our mission is to showcase the beauty of Aurora while fostering a sustainable and respectful tourism model. This Privacy Policy explains our practices and your rights regarding your personal data.

By using our website, services, and features (collectively, the “Services”), you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

To provide a rich, personalized, and useful experience, we collect information in a few different ways.

A. Information You Provide to Us Directly

• Account Information: When you create an account, you provide us with personal details such as your name, email address, password, and username.
• Profile Information: You may choose to add more information to your public profile, such as a photo, a short bio, travel and lifestyle preferences, and your location.
• User-Generated Content: We collect the information you post on our Services. This includes reviews, forum posts, comments, photos, videos, ratings, and messages you send to other users or on public forums.
• Itinerary & Preferences: When you use our Itinerary Builder, we collect the details you add, such as destinations, dates, activities, and preferences, to help you plan your trip.
• Purchase Information: If you buy merchandise or book a service through our online shopping features or Business Portal, we collect information necessary to process the transaction, such as your name, shipping address, and order details. Payment details are processed by our secure third-party payment processors.
• Communications: We collect information when you communicate with us directly (e.g., through contact forms, for customer support) or with our AI Chatbot. This includes the content of your messages and chat history.
• Event Registrations: When you register for physical events, we collect information such as your name and contact details to manage your attendance.
• Brokerage and Listing Information: If you use our property or asset brokerage services to list an item for sale or rent (e.g., real property, vehicles, furniture, equipment), we collect detailed information about the asset, including descriptions, photos, pricing, proof of ownership documents, and your contact details. If you inquire about a listing, we collect your name, contact information, and the content of your inquiry.
• Financial and Identity Verification: For high-value transactions like property sales, we may be required to collect additional information for identity verification and anti-fraud purposes, such as government-issued IDs and financial information, in compliance with applicable laws.

B. Information We Collect Automatically

• Log and Usage Data: Like most websites, we automatically log information when you access and use our Services. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, referral URLs, pages viewed, links clicked, and the dates and times of your visit.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We may use cookies, web beacons, and other technologies to operate and personalize our Services. These help us understand your preferences, secure your account, and analyze which parts of our Services are most popular. You can control cookies through your browser settings.
• Location Information: With your consent, we may collect your precise location data (GPS) to provide location-based services, such as local business matching and nature trail guidelines. You can disable this in your device settings.
• Device Information: We may collect information about the device you are using, such as its hardware model, operating system, and unique device identifiers.

C. Information We Receive from Third Parties

• We may receive information about you from third-party services, such as if you log in to our website using a social media account. This information is governed by the privacy policy of that third-party service.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Improve Our Services: To operate, maintain, and enhance all features of our website, including the search bar, Itinerary Builder, forums, directories, brokerage facility, business association features and AI-powered tools.
• To Facilitate Brokerage Services: To connect potential buyers/renters with sellers/landlords, to manage listings, to facilitate communication between parties, to verify ownership, and to process related transactions.
• To Personalize Your Experience: To tailor content, recommendations (like local business matching), and features to your interests and preferences. Our AI agentic podcast may use your listening history to suggest relevant episodes.
• To Process Transactions: To manage your purchases, bookings, and event registrations.
• To Communicate with You: To respond to your questions and comments, and to send you service-related announcements, updates, and administrative messages.
• For Safety and Security: To protect our users and our platform from fraud, abuse, and illegal activity.
• For Analytics and Research: To understand how our users interact with our Services so we can improve them and develop new features. This includes, among others, analyzing the effectiveness of our Tour Guide Training Kits, Itinerary Builder as well as popularity, quality and sustainability rating systems and rankings.
• For Marketing: With your consent, to send you promotional materials about our merch, events, and partner offers that we think you might find interesting.

3. How We Share Your Information

We are committed to protecting your privacy and do not sell your personal data. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Publicly on Our Services: Your profile information and any content you post publicly (like forum posts and reviews) will be visible to other users.
• With Parties in a Transaction: When you inquire about a listing for sale or rent, we will share your inquiry and contact information with the seller/landlord. Similarly, when you list an asset, your provided contact details and listing information will be shared with users who inquire. For verified transactions, we may share identity verification documents between the involved parties as required.
• With Service Providers: We work with trusted third-party vendors to help us operate our Services (e.g., payment processors, cloud hosting providers, analytics services, booking engines, affiliate marketing platforms, hospitality operators). They will have access to your information only to perform tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.
• With Businesses and Tour Guides: When you make a booking or interact with a business through our portal, we may share the necessary information with them to facilitate that service.
• For Legal Reasons: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with legal obligations, protect our rights, or defend against legal claims.
• In a Business Transfer: If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. Your Rights and Choices

You have control over your personal information. In line with the Philippines’ Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173), you have the right to:

• Access and Update Your Information: You can review and change your account and profile information at any time through your account settings.
• Delete Your Information: You can request the deletion of your account and associated personal data. Please note that some information (e.g., transaction records, data required for legal compliance) may be retained for legal or legitimate business purposes.
• Object to Processing: You can object to our processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Manage Communications: You can opt out of receiving promotional emails from us by using the “unsubscribe” link in the email.
• Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to file a complaint with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) of the Philippines if you believe your data privacy rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

5. Cookie Policy and Tracking Technologies

This section explains how Aurora.ph (“we”, “us”, “our”) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to recognize you when you visit our website, https://www.aurora.ph/beta/. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.

What are cookies? A cookie is a small text file containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. When you visit the site again, the cookie allows that site to recognize your browser.

Cookies help us make your experience on Aurora.ph better. For example, they can store your user preferences (like your login information so you don’t have to re-enter it), help us understand how you use the platform (like which pages are most popular), and allow us to show you relevant information and advertisements (like local businesses in Baler, not a city you’re not visiting).

How We Use Cookies We use cookies for several key purposes:

• Essential Cookies: These are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features, such as secure login. Without these, the site simply wouldn’t work.
• Performance & Analytics Cookies: These cookies collect information about how you use our platform. This helps us understand what content is most useful, how our members and visitors navigate the site, and where we can make improvements. We use this data to improve how our platform functions. We primarily use Google Analytics for this purpose.
• Functional Cookies: These cookies remember the choices you make on our site, such as your username, language, or the region you are in. This allows us to provide you with a more personal and convenient experience.
• Advertising & Marketing Cookies: These cookies are used to show you advertisements that are more relevant to your interests. They help us measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and, importantly for our mission, they help us show you promotions from our local “Founding Business Partners” and other Aurora-based operators.

Third-Party Cookies In addition to our own cookies, we also use various third-party cookies. These are cookies from a domain different than Aurora.ph. For example, our business advertisers may set cookies to track the performance of their ads, and we use Google Analytics to understand our site traffic.

Your Choices and How to Control Cookies You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies.

• Browser Settings: You can set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our website, though your access to some functionality and areas may be restricted. You can find out how to manage cookies on your specific browser by checking its “help” menu.
• Cookie Consent Banner: When you first visit Aurora.ph, you will see a cookie consent banner. This banner allows you to give or withdraw your consent for us to use non-essential cookies.
• Advertising: You can opt-out of interest-based advertising from many third-party ad networks by visiting websites like the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA).

By continuing to use our platform without changing your settings, you are agreeing to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

6. Data Security

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information. However, no electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have, we will take steps to delete such information.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us