Cebu City eyes August rollout of one-stop app for public services

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City plans to begin rolling out a one-stop mobile app offering public services and digital payments as early as August, Mayor Nestor Archival said on Monday, as the city accelerates efforts to digitize government transactions and improve response to public concerns.

The mobile app, which is still under testing, will initially integrate the city’s waste management reporting platform before gradually adding online payment services and eventually expanding to other frontline offices.

Archival said the city wants to ensure that government offices can respond promptly before opening more services to the public.

“Hopefully, within August, maka-makasugod na ta sa app hinay-hinay. Testing una, testing,” he said. (Hopefully, within August, we can gradually roll out the app. We will test it first.)

READ: Cebu City launches 24/7 ‘Mayor of the Night’ hub

Garbage reporting comes first

The mayor said the city started development with its garbage reporting system, allowing residents to submit complaints directly through the app.

Users can upload photos of uncollected garbage, which the system automatically tags with location data before forwarding the report to the Department of Public Services (DPS) for action.

Once field personnel resolve the complaint, the system sends feedback to the complainant, creating what Archival described as an end-to-end reporting process.

“Kung naay reklamo about garbage, pwede na sila mo-picture, unya kung ang ilang camera adunay geotag, masulod dayon didto sa atong station para mahimong data,” he said.

(If there is a complaint about garbage, residents can take a photo, and if their camera has geotagging, the location automatically enters the system as data.)

The app remains under refinement while city officials test response times and system performance before wider implementation.

The rollout builds on Citizen Action 360, the city’s pilot online platform that allows residents to report waste management concerns and monitor the status of their complaints. City Hall earlier said the pilot aims to identify technical issues and gather public feedback before a full launch.

Digital payments next

Beyond complaints, Archival said Cebu City has already started testing digital payment services.

However, the city has yet to activate the feature because officials still need to complete agreements with its partner bank.

“Nag-testing na ta, pero wala pa gyud na ma-finalize because there are some documents nga kinahanglan sign-an between sa bangko ug sa atong City Government,” he said.

(We have already started testing, but nothing has been finalized yet because several documents still need to be signed between the bank and the city government.)

Once operational, digital payments will become one of the app’s core services.

Centralized one-stop app for Cebu City Hall services

Archival said the Cebu City ultimately wants the one-stop app to serve as a centralized platform for multiple government services, including traffic concerns, business-related transactions and other public complaints.

He acknowledged, however, that expanding the platform requires government offices to maintain quick response teams capable of acting on reports received through the app.

“Tanan services, oo. Pero we should be very ready,” Archival said. (All services, yes. But we have to make sure we are fully prepared.)

The mayor said the city will initially develop the platform internally while evaluating its performance.

If testing proves successful, Cebu City may hire a third-party developer before the end of the year to build a more comprehensive version capable of serving additional departments, including the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).

Earlier this year, the city launched its “Mayor of the Night” hub, a 24-hour government service center that allows residents to process selected transactions beyond regular office hours.

The proposed mobile application seeks to extend that accessibility by bringing government services directly to residents’ smartphones.

With the phased rollout expected to begin in August, City Hall plans to refine the platform through pilot testing before gradually expanding its services as the city’s digital infrastructure matures.

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