Technical User Manual & Setup Guide

B-CARES Offline Desktop Application

Bangsamoro Communities Assistance and Relief Services (B-CARES) — Standalone offline intake and case management system for field social workers and municipal encoders.

Version: 1.0.0 Stable Agency: MSSD-BARMM Architecture: Offline-First with Cloud Sync Date: October 2026
1

Overview & Purpose

The B-CARES Offline Desktop Application is an engineered offline solution developed for the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD-BARMM). It brings the full power of the central MSSD Serbisyo Online intake portal directly to laptops and desktop computers operating without constant internet access.

Uninterrupted Field Intake

Enroll clients, record family members, and enter social worker assessments even in deep rural, island, or disaster locations.

Official Document Issuance

Instantly print Certificates of Eligibility (COE), Guarantee Letters, and Referral Notes with cryptographic QR codes.

Bi-Directional Cloud Sync

Queue local records offline and push them directly to the MSSD Cloud with a single click once an internet connection is established.

2

System Requirements

The application is completely self-contained. You do not need to install MariaDB, MySQL, Apache, or PHP separately.

Specification Minimum Requirement Recommended Specification
Operating System Windows 10 64-bit (Version 1909 or later) Windows 11 64-bit
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i3 (4th Gen) / AMD Ryzen 3 Intel Core i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 or higher
System Memory (RAM) 4 GB RAM 8 GB RAM or higher
Storage (Disk Space) 2 GB free storage space 5 GB+ SSD (for case files & document archives)
Display Resolution 1280 x 720 (HD) 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Printing Equipment Optional Standard office USB or Wi-Fi printer (for COE/GL printing)
3

End-to-End System Workflow

bcares_workflow_architecture.diagram
1. Online Portal
Download Config Key from user profile
2. Offline Setup
Run installer & upload config to wizard
3. Field Intake
Register beneficiaries & issue official docs
4. Cloud Sync
Push records to central server when online
4

Phase 1: Downloading the Offline Config Key (Online Portal)

Before installing the application on your field computer, you must download your personalized Offline Configuration Key from the online B-CARES server while you have internet connectivity.

Prerequisite: Authorized Account Required You must already have an active social worker, case manager, or encoder account on the central B-CARES Online Portal.
  • 1

    Open Web Browser & Navigate to Online Portal

    Open Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox and go to the official portal URL: https://mssd-so.barmm.gov.ph (or your assigned regional server address).

  • 2

    Log In to Your Account

    Enter your MSSD employee email, password, and complete any required two-factor or CAPTCHA verification.

  • 3

    Navigate to Your Profile Page

    Click your user profile avatar in the upper right header, or select Profile from the left sidebar navigation.

  • 4

    Locate "Offline App Synchronization" & Download

    Scroll down to the bottom of your Profile page. Find the section marked Offline App Synchronization and click the blue button:

    Offline App Synchronization

    Download your configuration file to quickly set up the B-CARES Offline Application on your local computer.

  • 5

    Save the Configuration File

    A file named bcares_offline_config.json will download to your Downloads folder. Keep this file safe. If you are setting up a separate field laptop, copy this file to a USB flash drive.

Security Alert: Protect Your Configuration File The bcares_offline_config.json file contains your encrypted credentials, municipal office identifier, and an authenticating 64-character cryptographic API key. Do not rename, alter the text, or distribute this file to unauthorized individuals.
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Phase 2: Installing B-CARES Offline on Your Computer

Choose between the recommended automated Windows Installer or the standalone portable package:

  • 1

    Run Setup Executable

    Double-click B-CARES_Offline_Setup.exe. If a Windows SmartScreen security alert appears, click More Info → Run Anyway.

  • 2

    Select Destination

    By default, the program installs cleanly to {localappdata}\Programs\B-CARES Offline without requiring Windows Administrator access. Click Next → Install.

  • 3

    Launch from Desktop

    The installer places a B-CARES Offline shortcut on your Desktop and in the Start Menu. Check "Launch B-CARES Offline now" and click Finish.

  • 1

    Extract the ZIP Archive

    Right-click desktop_package.zip and extract it to your preferred location (e.g. C:\B-CARES-Offline\ or your Desktop).

  • 2

    Launch Using Start Script

    Inside the extracted folder, double-click Start B-CARES Offline.vbs for a clean silent startup, or run.bat to view detailed startup diagnostics.

Self-Configuring Network Stack: B-CARES Offline automatically runs its isolated database on Port 3307 and web interface on Port 8088. This ensures zero conflicts if your computer already runs other database tools like Laragon or XAMPP (Port 3306/80).
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Phase 3: First-Run Setup & Device Initialization

When launched for the first time, B-CARES Offline will automatically direct you to the First-Run Setup Wizard (/setup).

B-CARES Offline Setup Wizard (http://127.0.0.1:8088/setup)
MSSD BARMM

B-CARES Offline Setup

Upload the bcares_offline_config.json file downloaded from your online account to initialize this device.

Click or drag your config file here
Accepts: bcares_offline_config.json
  • 1

    Select or Drag Your Configuration File

    Click inside the dashed drop zone to browse for bcares_offline_config.json, or simply drag and drop the file directly onto the card.

  • 2

    Verify File Loaded

    The upload box will change to green with a checkmark () indicating the file is ready.

  • 3

    Click "Initialize System"

    The application automatically initializes the local environment, runs all background database migrations (adds local settings and sync flags), and configures your user credentials.

  • 4

    Automatic Redirect

    A success dialog displays: "Setup Complete! Your offline environment is ready." You will automatically be redirected to the offline Login Screen.

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Phase 4: Logging In & Daily Offline Operations

Logging In

Once initialized, you can log in at any time without needing an active internet connection:

  1. Enter your official MSSD email address.
  2. Enter your password (the exact password associated with your online account).
  3. Enter the 4-digit CAPTCHA security code displayed on the screen.
  4. Click Sign In to enter the Dashboard.
Avatar Profile Image Notice: If your personal photo was not transferred from the cloud, the system cleanly displays the official circular MSSD BARMM emblem (white-logo.jpg). You can upload a new local picture anytime by visiting Profile → "Click to change profile picture".

Core Field Intake Operations

1. Beneficiary Registration

Navigate to New Application. Record complete client and beneficiary demographics, PSGC location, and dynamic family member profiles.

2. Local Duplicate Check

The built-in algorithm scans all locally recorded families to detect existing beneficiaries, avoiding duplicate payouts.

3. Assessment & CSR

Complete social worker validation, fund source selection, recommended assistance amounts, and upload local case study photos.

4. Offline Document Issuance

Instantly generate and print official Certificates of Eligibility (COE), Guarantee Letters, and MRS sheets with authentic signatories and QR codes.

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Phase 5: Synchronizing Data with the MSSD Online Cloud

Whenever you connect your computer to the internet (via office Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or mobile phone tethering), synchronize your records with the MSSD Online Cloud.

Navigate to Sync (backend/sync) in the left sidebar menu.

B-CARES Offline Synchronization Dashboard
SERVER STATUS
Connected
PENDING UPLOADS
8 Applications
LAST SYNC TIME
Today, 09:30 AM

  • Step 1: Verify Connection (Ping Server)

    Click Ping Server to verify whether your computer can reach the central MSSD server. The screen will report "Server Reachable (HTTP 200 OK)".

  • Step 2: Push Local Applications (Upload)

    Click Push to Online Cloud. All applications, family records, validation assessments, and document records saved offline are transmitted securely. Once confirmed by the cloud, they are marked locally as synced_online = 1.

  • Step 3: Pull System Updates (Download)

    Click Pull Updates to retrieve updated municipal signatory assignments, revised assistance quotas, and official partner directory updates.

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Phase 6: In-App System Updates

When new features, bug fixes, or revised Bangsamoro assistance forms are released, the application can update itself over the air without requiring you to reinstall the app.

  1. Connect to the internet.
  2. Navigate to System Update (backend/update) in the sidebar.
  3. Check your installed version (e.g. 1.0.0) and click Check for Updates.
  4. If an update is available, view the release notes and click Download & Install Update.
Zero Data Loss Protection: In-app updates only update system PHP script files and stylesheets. Your local MySQL database, client records, and intake files are never modified, erased, or overwritten during an update.
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Phase 7: Graceful Application Shutdown

To ensure database transactions and logs are saved cleanly:

Standard Window Exit

Simply click the Close (X) button on the top right corner of the B-CARES Offline window. The background launcher automatically issues a safe shutdown command to MariaDB.

Manual Script Stop

If you started the app from a portable folder, double-click stop.bat anytime to cleanly terminate any background MySQL instances on port 3307.

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Troubleshooting & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What should I do if the setup wizard says "Invalid config file"?
This indicates that the uploaded file was renamed, corrupted, or was not downloaded from the official portal. Log back into your profile on mssd-so.barmm.gov.ph, download a fresh copy of bcares_offline_config.json, and re-upload it to http://127.0.0.1:8088/setup.
The app won't open or says "MySQL failed to start in time".
Check if another service is occupying Port 3307 or if your antivirus is blocking mysqld.exe. Open the log file at mysql\data\mysql-error.log to inspect the exact message, and add the B-CARES installation folder to your Windows Defender exclusions if needed.
Why is my profile picture showing the MSSD BARMM circular logo?
This is an intentional design feature. If your personal photo was not transferred from the online server, the application automatically displays the official circular MSSD BARMM emblem (white-logo.jpg) so that no broken image icons appear. You can upload a new photo locally in Profile → "Click to change profile picture".
I changed my password on the online portal. How do I update it offline?
Download a fresh bcares_offline_config.json file from the online portal after changing your password. Then, open B-CARES Offline, navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8088/setup, and upload the new configuration file. Your offline credentials will update immediately.
Can multiple social workers use the same field laptop?
Yes. Each user account can be initialized by loading their respective config file or by syncing user records with the online database.
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Field Worker Security & Data Handling Guidelines

Because B-CARES Offline stores beneficiary data locally on portable field laptops, all personnel must adhere strictly to MSSD Data Privacy policies:

Laptop Security:

Keep your laptop protected with a strong Windows login password or PIN. Never leave the computer unlocked or unattended in public intake areas.

Daily Synchronization:

Synchronize offline applications to the central cloud at the earliest opportunity (e.g., at the end of each field intake day or upon returning to base) to minimize the risk of data loss.

Confidentiality of Config Keys:

Never store bcares_offline_config.json on unencrypted public USB drives or send it over unverified messaging channels.

Ministry of Social Services and Development — BARMM

B-CARES System Technical Support | #UpliftingBangsamoroLives