The Quezon City government’s mobile application for city ordinances, the Batas QC App, has received loop an international award for “delivering citizen-centric services” through innovation and use of modern technology.
The Batas QC App is one of the recipients of the OpenGov Asia Excellence Award for Innovative and Disruptive Use of Technology in Delivering Citizen-centric Services and is the only local government initiative that received the award together with other national agencies.
Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, who led the city council in passing the ordinance for the Batas QC App, expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying the award motivates the council to implement innovative and radical measures in dealing with the city’s different challenges.
“This app is something that empowers us. It is something that makes the government transparent and at the same time, makes people aware of their rights, the laws, and the corresponding consequences of their violations,” she said.
“Through this app, the people can easily refer to our ordinances without actually having to dig up the entire internet just to cite some provisions. They just have to download the app once, and they can already access all our laws in this database, that’s why it is a lot easier to search,” she added.
In November 2018, the city council launched the Batas QC App to raise awareness on the city’s laws and counter ordinance violations, while providing accessibility and transparency as the app also features announcements, schedules, and relevant infographics.
Other recipients of the award were the University of the Philippines, Department of Energy, Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Tourism, Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Immigration.