Can a Website Make Government Better?
In an era of growing public demand for accountability, a group of tech enthusiasts in the Philippines has turned a bold idea into a nationwide conversation. Bettergov.ph, a volunteer-driven project, launched with the audacious aim of offering a “better” version of the country’s gov.ph portal. The endeavor is not just about a website; it’s about a movement that asks: can digital tools empower citizens to demand more transparent, efficient, and accessible government services?
The spark: frustration, not fascination
Jason Torres, a developer and member of the Startup PH community now based in the United Kingdom, describes an oft-cited problem: many government digital portals feel aged and unhelpful. “If you look at the gov.ph, the senate, and congress websites, they all look outdated and embarrassing,” he told me. The critique isn’t personal; it’s about user experience, trust, and the ability to navigate public information with ease. Bettergov.ph emerged from this frustration, funded with a modest budget and sustained by volunteers who share the conviction that public service data should be readable and useful.
What the project hopes to tackle
The core goal is straightforward but ambitious: make government information more transparent, more accessible, and more responsive to citizens. Beyond making better and more accessible sites, the project emphasizes a broader civictech movement—where technology, design, and public policy intersect to improve how government works for people. This isn’t only about fixing a single portal; it’s about cultivating a culture of open data, collaboration, and ongoing innovation.
Initial discussions on Bettergov.ph include several ideas:
– Transparency projects and clearer data visualization for various industries;
– A “rating” system for politicians or agencies, potentially offering citizens a quick, comparative view of performance;
– A “Glassdoor for government agencies” to provide anonymous, experience-based feedback;
– A blockchain-backed government reporting app to track projects with auditable accountability. While these concepts range from practical to experimental, they illustrate the breadth of opportunities that a civic tech community can pursue.
The community and the work ahead
From a four-person volunteer crew, Bettergov.ph has grown to about 75 volunteers, with contributors from both government and private sectors. The project operates on open-source principles: there is an emphasis on sharing data, API endpoints, and opportunities to collaborate with others who want to build similar solutions. The team is not just coding in a vacuum; they are organizing hackathons, offering mentorship, and seeking to connect builders with the people who can implement improvements in the real world.
Leader and evangelist Torres frames the effort as a grassroots, open-source movement. “We don’t need permission,” he says. “We need to take matters into our own hands.” While ambition is high, the practical asks remain modest—reliable infrastructure, AI credits, and a platform where ideas can be submitted and refined by a community of practitioners and citizens alike.
Why it matters—and what success might look like
Citizen-driven tech projects like Bettergov.ph reflect a broader trend: people seeking to reform governance through accessible information and collaborative problem-solving. If successful, these efforts can improve how citizens interact with the state, shorten response times, and increase trust in public institutions. The hope is not to replace government, but to complement it with tools that citizens can trust and rely on.
As the movement gains momentum, the real test will be translating ideas into measurable improvements—clearer data dashboards, more responsive services, and transparent reporting on spending and progress. A better government is not achieved by a single website, but through ongoing collaboration, a culture of openness, and the sustained involvement of citizens who are empowered to contribute.
