As first-year college students, we often hear the same question from our families, neighbors, and even our teachers: "Where did our taxes go?" This common question reflects a deeper issue in Philippine society—many citizens, whether they pay taxes directly or indirectly, have no idea where their money goes. The lack of transparency leads to a loss of trust in the government and affects civic participation. In exploring this issue, we discovered that there is public data already accessible online, such as those found on the websites of the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS). However, these platforms are often technical and difficult for the average citizen to understand. This led us to pose an important question: What if there was an app that made this information easier to understand and access? From this idea, the concept of BuwisTrack was born—an IT innovation aimed at helping ordinary Filipinos track where their tax contributions go, especially for projects in their local communities. With this project, we aim to promote transparency and accountability in government spending through a simple, user-friendly, and practical platform—even for students like us.
BuwisTrack is a mobile and desktop application that shows how public funds are used. The app displays government-funded projects on a map, along with essential details such as project name, allocated budget, project status (ongoing, completed, or delayed), the contractor or implementing agency, and the implementation timeline. Its primary users include ordinary taxpayers, students and teachers, journalists and researchers, and even government personnel. For each of them, the app offers specific benefits—from increasing awareness about government spending to supporting education, investigation, and building public trust.
Among the key features of BuwisTrack are an easy-to-use map showing government projects, filters to organize them by type (e.g., roads, schools, health centers), and visuals such as graphs and progress bars to indicate the status of each project. All data will be sourced from legitimate government platforms such as COA and PhilGEPS. The app's design prioritizes accessibility for users with limited tech knowledge. Unlike complex government portals, BuwisTrack will emphasize simplicity, clarity, and user empowerment.
We believe BuwisTrack is possible because the necessary data is already available online. The main challenge lies in making this data more accessible and easier to understand. The app does not aim to replace government websites but to expand their usefulness in a more organized manner. The estimated cost for developing the app ranges from PHP 500,000 to PHP 1 million, which includes app development, data hosting and server maintenance, user interface design, and technical support for ongoing operations. As student innovators, our goal is to collaborate with NGOs, academic institutions, or tech startups that support civic engagement and government transparency.
BuwisTrack responds to the growing demand of Filipinos for transparency, civic participation, and government accountability. By making government spending data easier to understand, we can fight corruption through the exposure of suspicious or delayed projects, empower citizens to ask questions and engage with the government, and serve as a tool for civic education in schools and communities. All information displayed in the app will come from official sources and will comply with Philippine data privacy laws. It will not collect personal information and will prioritize user safety and information accuracy.
Our research has shown that similar platforms in other countries have successfully increased civic participation. Some examples include Recovery.gov in the United States, launched during the Obama administration to track stimulus spending after the 2008 financial crisis, and Huduma in Kenya, a citizen-centered service providing access to government services and information. In the Philippines, portals such as COA.gov.ph and PhilGEPS contain spending data. However, they are often too technical and difficult to navigate for ordinary people. As students, we also struggled to extract meaningful insights from them. According to academic studies from the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University, when government data is made more understandable and accessible, citizens are more likely to participate in civic activities and demand accountability. This proves that a tool like BuwisTrack is not only useful—it is necessary.
Although the journey to building BuwisTrack is long and full of challenges, we remain optimistic. Here are the next steps we consider essential: First, user education. Many users may not be familiar with how the government budget works, so the app will contain simple materials like explainer videos, FAQs, and a glossary of common terms. Second, collaboration. To make BuwisTrack a reality, we will need support from NGOs, universities, and tech companies. Third, data privacy and security. The app will strictly comply with the law, will not collect personal information, and will use only legitimate and official sources. And fourth, sustainability. For long-term success, the app must be maintained by a small team, regularly updated, and potentially supported through grants, sponsorships, or partnerships.
BuwisTrack reflects our generation's effort to make government more open, data more meaningful, and citizens more empowered. As students, we may not yet have the full capability to build it right away—but we believe that through collaboration and innovation, BuwisTrack can become a reality. This project is a step toward greater transparency, deeper civic engagement, and a better future for Filipino taxpayers.