LOCAL ride-hailing startup Pedi App is reshaping public transport in Bohol by digitizing tricycle operations and offering drivers higher earnings through fair, transparent fares. The homegrown platform, which debuted in Tagbilaran City in 2022, now counts 22,000 registered users and 400 active drivers, with plans to expand to Dumaguete by year-end.
Built entirely by a local team, Pedi App enforces standardized fares and driver accreditation, addressing long-standing issues of haggling and overcharging common in tourist areas. Drivers earn an additional P800 to P1,000 daily by completing around 10 bookings, supplementing their traditional street hires.
“We’re building a system that ensures both fair pay for drivers and predictable pricing for passengers,” said Reagan Loberternos, chief executive officer and co-founder. “Being local allows us to adapt to each community’s needs and realities.”
The platform is piloting new services — Pedi Xpress for deliveries, PediPay for cashless transactions, and Pedi E-Ticket for ferry and transport bookings. Talks are ongoing for potential partnerships across Southeast Asia and even in the United States.
“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,” said Loberternos.
Supported by the Bohol Island State University Technology Business Incubator and the Department of Trade and Industry- Central Visayas, Pedi App’s rise reflects the growing strength of regional tech innovation.
The startup was recently featured by the World Intellectual Property Organization for its creative use of technology to empower local mobility. Pedi App was one of the startups invited during the recently concluded Geeks On A Beach 2025 held in Mactan, Cebu. / KOC