“It is better that I have this app because anytime I want to go out, anywhere I want to go, I can easily book a tricycle to pick me up,” she said.
“It is accessible, easy to use and affordable,” she added.
Pedi App is an online booking platform created by four Boholanos who set out to make commuting in the province safer and more convenient. Their goal: to do away with common hassles like fare negotiations and safety concerns.
Where it began
It all started with a chance meeting at a mall in Cebu in 2021.
Feliciano “Doy” Agta, a real estate businessman, happened to bump into Reagan Loberternos — a former colleague from a company they both worked for in Bohol.
Agta, the son of a pedicab driver, raised the idea of creating a pedicab-hailing app in Bohol — one where tourists wouldn’t suspect being overcharged and drivers wouldn’t feel shortchanged.
Loberternos, 45, who holds a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of the Philippines, immediately came on board — it was an idea he had also been thinking about.
He joined Agta, along with Christian Lugod and Erwin Saycon, to form the team. Work officially began in January 2022.
They registered their company, Pedicab Solutions Inc., with the Securities and Exchange Commission — naming Loberternos as chief executive officer, Agta as chief finance officer, Lugod as chief technology officer, and Saycon as chair of the board.
On Sept. 22, 2022, the Pedi App was launched in Bohol’s capital city of Tagbilaran.
To ensure that they had drivers who would accept bookings, the group enlisted what they called the “12 apostles” — a core team of 12 drivers who received an incentive of P1,000 per week for every 35 bookings.
Gaining ground
To make the app more tourist-friendly, the team added a safety feature that allows passengers’ relatives or friends to track their location after a ride is booked.
“Since this is developed by Boholanos, we are able to quickly customize features for each municipality and better understand the social and economic realities on the ground,” said Loberternos.
They also offer a pre-booking feature, with the option to cancel up to 30 minutes before pickup — provided the ride isn’t scheduled late at night.
The app slowly started to gain ground, but the road wasn’t without bumps. Some tricycle drivers were hesitant to switch to smartphones, while others feared that joining the platform would mean more competition for rides within the app.
But the positive stories shared by drivers using the app encouraged others to sign up. From the 12 apostles in 2022, Pedi App now has 434 registered drivers and 21,687 registered mobile numbers.
All drivers undergo training and must present a valid driver’s license and franchise before getting onboard.
The app enforces standardized fares, and commuters can report overcharging or misconduct, which can lead to penalties or suspension.
With the app, drivers now earn P800 to P1,000 per day for completing just 10 bookings.
One of them was Ricardo Carpentero, of Tagbilaran City.
“Before the Pedi App, we had to work hard to get passengers. Now with Pedi App, even if we were just on stand-by, we would get bookings,” he added.
Beyond rides
The app has now expanded beyond just rides.
Loberternos said they have added features designed to make commuting more convenient while also supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
One of these is PediPay, a digital payment feature that allows users —including parents— to send funds to their children for fare payments.
The app also offers PediBills for bill payments and Pedi E-Ticket, which lets users book OceanJet Fast Ferries e-tickets at no additional cost.
“But we plan to later include other ferries,” said Loberternos.
Another new feature offers the convenience of booking trips to destinations across Southeast Asia through a third-party web app, 12go.com, which can be accessed via Pedi App for a more seamless user experience.
The group also plans to launch Pedi Xpress, a delivery service.
Loberternos said the delivery service would not be limited to large grocery stores but would also include small vendors selling local delicacies and snacks — a way to help boost small businesses.
“We want our app to be inclusive, an ecosystem where businesses can thrive,” he added.
Expansion mode
The group plans to expand to Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental. They have started talking with pedicab drivers and local officials in Dumaguete, hoping to launch the Pedi App within the year.
The franchise-style system will allow local operators to manage front-end services while Pedi provides the technological infrastructure.
Three years since its launching, this Bohol-made app has gone a long way.
Last year, the Pedi App’s innovation was featured by the World Intellectual Property Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes intellectual property to protect creators and innovators, as an innovation success story.
During the 58th Tagbilaran City Charter Day on July 1, 2024, Pedi App was given a plaque of recognition for outstanding contribution for its innovative ride-hailing app.
Last Oct. 1-3, Pedi App creators joined the Geeks on a Beach, the country’s pioneering beachside international tech and startup conference. It is organized by the non-profit group geeksPH with the support of its foundational government partner, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to connect entrepreneurs, investors, developers, creatives, and policymakers.
For Loberternos and his team, the long-term vision is clear.
“We see the Pedi App not just in Bohol, but in other parts of the Philippines, in Southeast Asia, and every place where tricycles and tuk-tuks are a part of daily life,” he said.
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