Confused about PH gov’t services? There’s now an app for that

MANILA, Philippines – Out of confusion and frustration over the basics of government services, a 21-year-old political science graduate developed a mobile app that aims to help people navigate basic government services. 

Kemuel Clyde Belderol developed the app “FormsPH”, which seeks to provide vital information about key Philippine government documents, including the requirements and steps to get them.

Most of the information are either from government websites, as verified by bloggers who have had experience in complying with the requirements of various government offices.

FormsPH, released at the Google Play Store last August 28, can be used offline once downloaded. It also includes contact details of government agencies as reference.

Belderol said an argument between him and his mother about passport renewal prompted him to develop the app. He said he, residing in Quezon City, and his mom, living in Bukidnon, got different information about the requirements for obtaining a passport.

“What’s difficult with government documents is that there’s little in the way of consistency, such as passport application in Luzon and Mindanao – where you can only book online if you’re going to apply for it in Luzon,” said Belderol.

“My goal with this app is to show people that these problems we often take for granted can be solved,” he added.

As FormsPH is a mobile app, it would be handy to verify the information on these government-required documents on the go, he added.

While the app is still new, Belderol welcomes feedback and suggestions from users and other developers as he intends to expand the app’s uses.

“My dream is for a mobile app for every local government unit or city. If I lived in Quezon City, there would be a mobile app specifically for citizens of QC. So government policies, class suspension announcements, government departments and where to find them, taxing mechanism, the budget, who are the officials, mayor’s plans, how to get a mayor’s permit, business permit, etc. Now that would be something,” he said.

Belderol said that he is a novice app developer who only learned how to make the app through the internet, and more especially by watching videos on YouTube. Because of this, he said that he would appreciate developers helping him make the interface more user-friendly.

As a fresh graduate himself, he believes many fresh graduates who have been having a hard time complying with employment requirements will benefit the most from the app. – Rappler.com