PH founders, devs push for BetterGov amid anticorruption protests

Photo credit: iSawRed / Unsplash

Over the past week, thousands of Filipinos took to the streets of Metro Manila and across the country, calling out corruption in the Philippine government. Off the streets, a group of startup founders and developers made their protest known in the way they knew best: coding.

Launched on September 19, BetterGov.ph aims to make the government “more transparent, efficient and accessible to citizens,” Jason Torres, co-founder of software development firm Mashup Garage, wrote in a Facebook post.

BetterGov.ph is a portal that gives Filipinos information on how to avail government services such as securing valid IDs and applying for social services.

However, what many Filipinos may appreciate the most about BetterGov.ph is its section on the controversial flood control projects in the country, which sparked the protests last week. Filled with detailed charts and tables, the section uses data mined from a government website launched by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

The Sumbong mo sa Pangulo (which translates to “report it to the president” in English) site lists flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025 amounting to 545 billion pesos (US$9 billion). The website, however, only details projects per location.

Meanwhile, BetterGov.ph processes all information culled from the Sumbong mo sa Pangulo website, giving a summary of its data points. This allows users to see how many projects have been earmarked per project contractor, region, and year in a visual format.

These initiatives have been under public scrutiny after President Marcos said only 15 contractors have benefited from these projects.

Over the past weeks, investigative hearings about the issue organized by the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives have revealed some “ghost projects,” which means no construction ever took place. Apart from potential fraud, several government officials were also alleged to have pocketed significant amounts from the projects’ budgets.

“I’m angry, you’re angry, but we can contribute in our own ways no matter how little it is,” Torres said in his Facebook post. He also called on other developers in the Philippines to join the cause and build on more features for the website.

More than 1,500 people have joined the community, as seen on BetterGov.ph’s official Discord channel.

Aside from Torres, other founders of the website include former ex-Paymongo CEO Francis Plaza, former Animoca Brands marketing director Christopher Star, serial entrepreneur Paul Pajo, and Aqwire founder Ray Refundo.

Currency converted from US dollar to Philippine peso: US$1 = 56.97 pesos.