Quezon City launches mobile app on ordinances

THE QUEZON CITY local government has launched an online database of ordinances accessible via a mobile application as it aims to raise awareness about the city’s rules.

Batas QC is the first city-based database, which targets to counter ordinance violations by educating residents about the regulations and corresponding penalties.

The app, which is available for download on the Google Play Store for Android users and via www.batasqc.com for non-Android phones, provides users with a summary of QC ordinances.

Users can type the ordinance they are looking for through the app’s search bar, which will bring up its summary and the corresponding penalties for violations. Links to the full text of ordinances on the QC Council website are also provided.

The app likewise categorizes ordinances according to their nature, which can be refined through filters.

Aside from ordinances, users can also view announcements like schedules of events, meetings, and infographics, among others.

Batas QC was developed by Dexter Feliciano, the founder and CEO of Thinc Office Corp. which was also behind the online legal resource MyLegalWhiz.

“The purpose of the app is for you to be informed and inform the enforcers to implement the law,” Mr. Feliciano said during the official launch of the app on Tuesday.

“You don’t need to read the whole text of the ordinance. Sinummarize po nila para mas maintindihan ng ordinaryong tao (It was summarized in layman’s terms), and even the enforcers, hindi na sila parang naghahanap… Ito makikita mo na agad (they do not need to search anymore. Through the app, they can view it immediately)… Instead of going to the internet, one click, isang type…kita mo ‘yung (by just typing, you can see the) description and the penalties,” Mr. Feliciano explained.

“This is the first user-friendly, city-based database that everyone can easily access, and it aims to counter ordinance violations by educating residents on the penalties they will be incurring,” Quezon City Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina G. Belmonte said in a speech during the launch.

According to the National Capital Region Police Office, the Quezon City Police District had the highest number of violators at 262,847 or 58.4% of the total arrests for ordinance penalties in Metro Manila from June 13 to Nov. 2 of this year.

Aside from awareness, Ms. Belmonte said the app also promotes good governance as this provides transparency on the ordinances and the penalties, which educates citizens and helps hold agencies accountable for their actions.

During Tuesday’s launch, the Quezon City government distributed phones and tablets with the Batas QC app to the city’s Department of Public Order and Safety, Environment Protection and Waste Management Department, barangay councils, and the Sangguniang Kabataan, among others.

The official said the app will be updated weekly to add new ordinances passed in their weekly council meetings. —