FRANCISCO Navalta, a 17-year-old self-taught developer, built a mobile app named “DavaoGo” to help commuters in Davao City discover routes, which public transportation to take, and access to map data.
As a programmer, Navalta was inspired to develop DavaoGo to guide Davaoeños with better understanding of public utility jeepney routes and the Davao Interim Bus System (DIBS) that can make navigating the city more convenient to the users.
He said the app focuses on the commuting experience in the city and provides route information, giving local commuters and visitors the confidence to travel.
“One of my priorities is to make DavaoGo simple and easy to use, even for people who are unfamiliar with certain routes around the city. I want commuters to have a convenient way to access route information without always having to ask other people for directions,” Navalta said in an interview.
Navalta shared that it took him three to four months to develop the app, during which he worked on its features, such as the interface and route information. Throughout the development process, he spent time researching, testing, and improving DavaoGo.
His experience was both challenging and rewarding since he was able to apply what he had learned to create something useful for the community.
When asked about his final vision or ultimate goal for DavaoGo, he wants the app to become a reliable commuting guide for the people in Davao City, where students, workers, and other commuters will have an easier time planning their respective trips.
“I know there is still a lot of room for improvement, and I hope to continue developing the app, adding improvements, and reaching more Davaoeños. More than just creating an app, I want to use technology to help solve everyday problems in our community,” he said.
Navalta is also open to collaborating with the City Government of Davao and transportation offices in the future, as he believes working with agencies will help improve the accuracy and usefulness of the route details available in the app.
DavaoGo is available to download on the Google Play Store and is an independent project by Navalta that is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially operated by the City Government of Davao or any transportation agency.
The app features a built-in assistant “SANI” and works in languages of English, Filipino, and Bisaya. Users can sign in via a Google account to save marked destinations, quickly reopen favorite routes, and save complete trips for later.
It comes with government-referenced sources such as jeepney fares from the official Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) guides and DC Bus route identities from the DIBS site and DC Bus Tracker.
Other sources include base map data from OpenStreeMap contributors, weather data from Open-Meteo, DavaoGo-researched and verified transport details, and community-submitted information.