Overview

TrabaHanap is a cross-platform job-matching mobile application developed using the MERN stack and React Native. The app connects manual laborers with clients in Davao City looking for home repair and renovation services. The following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are addressed in the development of the job-matching application which are SGD 1 (no poverty), SGD 8 (decent work and economic growth), and lastly, SGD 11 (sustainable cities and communities).

The main focus of the project on my end as part of my undergraduate thesis was to:

• Implement culturally adaptive design elements, such as the use of the Cebuano language, local imagery, and community-based trust systems.
• Evaluate the usability and user experience using standardized tools like the System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Experience Questionnaire – Short (UEQ-S).
• Address the lack of locally contextualized digital solutions for blue-collar employment in Davao City.

Planning and Development

TrabaHanap was first conceived during our course subject Introduction to Technopreneurship, alongside my other teammates Julienne Elyze Marzo and Althea Jane Cepeda. During the course subject, we were tasked to come up with ideas that could help solve a problem in our community. We had multiple ideas but eventually settled on TrabaHanap as our final project.

During the development of the project, I was tasked to be the full-stack developer and UI/UX designer of the app with local cultural elements, while Elyze was the UI/UX designer (for the variant of the app without local cultural elements), frontend developer, and project manager, and Althea focused as the backend developer and the one who developed the algorithms utilized for the job-matching system.

The development of the project was no easy task, as we had to learn a lot of new technologies and concepts, and this was our first venture in developing a mobile application. We had to pivot and adapt to the changes in the project, as we had to change the tech stack we were using, and the features we were implementing.

We finally settled on the tech stack we were using, and we used MongoDB, Express, React Native, Expo, and Node.js for the application and Python for the algorithms utilized for the job-matching system. Additionally, we utilized Figma for the UI/UX design of the app and Postman for the API testing.

Testing

For my undergraduate thesis, testing was performed through A/B testing between two versions of the app, one with and one without local cultural elements, among 45 participants (30 clients and 15 laborers).

The results of the study showed that both versions of the TrabaHanap mobile application — one with and one without local cultural elements — achieved good usability and user experience ratings based on the System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Experience Questionnaire – Short (UEQ-S). The average SUS scores for both clients and workers were within the “good” usability range, indicating that the application was generally easy to use and well-received.

Although the version with local cultural elements scored slightly lower in overall usability, it was found to enhance user trust, relatability, and engagement, especially among local users in Davao City. Feedback gathered from respondents revealed that the integration of cultural features such as the Cebuano language, local imagery, and familiar design patterns made the application feel more personal and community-oriented. Overall, the study demonstrated that while localized design elements may slightly affect functional efficiency, they significantly contribute to improving user connection, satisfaction, and inclusivity in digital platforms.

This project won the Best Venture in Computer Science at the University of the Philippines Mindanao (2024) and placed 2nd runner-up in QBO Innovation's QOMPETE 2024 startup competition.