Multilingual by Default
Built-in support for English, Filipino, Cebuano, and other Philippine regional languages. Reach every constituent in their preferred language.
The problem
Thousands of local government units have no website — not for lack of will, but because putting one up has meant hiring a vendor, waiting months, and paying every year to keep it running.
BetterLocalGov removes all three. The kit is free, the content is yours to edit, and hosting costs nothing on the platforms it deploys to.
What's included
Everything a local government site needs
Built around how Philippine local government actually works — the languages constituents read, the devices they carry, and the standards public services are held to.
Mobile-First Design
Responsive layouts that look great on every device — from smartphones to desktops. Most Filipinos access the web on mobile.
YAML Content Management
Non-developers can update content directly in YAML files — no coding needed. Designed for government staff, not just engineers.
Fast & Optimized
Built with Vite for lightning-fast build times and optimized load performance. Passes Core Web Vitals for a smooth citizen experience.
SEO Ready
Built-in meta tags, Open Graph support, and structured data so your Local Government Unit's website ranks on search engines and is easy to find.
WCAG 2.1 Accessible
Designed to government accessibility standards so every citizen — including persons with disabilities — can access services.
Procedure
Four steps, start to published
The order matters here, so the steps are numbered. The right-hand column is the running total — it is where the two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half hours comes from.
- 1
Clone and install
Clone the repository, run npm install and npm run setup. Your dev server comes up at localhost:5173.
5 min0:05 elapsed - 2
Set your unit's details
Fill in your name, seal, contact details, colors, and office structure in a handful of YAML files.
15 min0:20 elapsed - 3
Add your content
Enter services, departments, announcements, and officials into the templates. No HTML or CSS involved.
2–4 hrs2:20 – 4:20 elapsed - 4
Publish
Deploy to Vercel, Netlify, or GitHub Pages with one command. Your site is live at your own domain.
15 min2:35 – 4:35 elapsed
Total2:35 – 4:35
# Quick start
git clone https://github.com/iyanski/betterlocalgov.git
cd betterlocalgov
npm install
npm run setup
npm run dev
Coverage
From the smallest barangay to the largest city
Each tier of local government keeps its own templates, sized to the office that will maintain them.
Available now
Barangays
The country's most basic political unit. Publish your officials, services, and announcements where residents can find them.
In development
Cities
Component and highly urbanized cities, with room for many departments, service pages, and citizen requests.
In development
Municipalities
Municipal governments serving rural and coastal communities, with the same templates scaled to a smaller office.
Documents
Read before you start
Six guides cover setup through publication. Every one of them lives in the repository alongside the code.