PROJECT METHODOLOGY
How BetterSanFernando builds project records
BetterSanFernando organizes public project records so residents can trace a published fact back to the evidence that supports it. This page explains how records are collected, connected, interpreted, and presented, and where the limits of the current dataset begin.
- Published projects
- 324
- Project evidence records
- 563
- Evidence records with direct documents
- 554 of 563
These figures describe the current published project collection and may change as additional verified source evidence is added.
HOW FACTS ARE BUILT
From public source to published fact
BetterSanFernando does not treat a project page as an independent source. Published project facts remain connected to the records used to establish them.
- 01
Public source
Official page or document.
- 02
Evidence record
Source, date, identifier, and the fields the record establishes.
- 03
Project link
Evidence connected conservatively to the supported project.
- 04
Published fact
Normalized project field with provenance and source links.
Normalization changes structure, not source meaning. BetterSanFernando may standardize labels, dates, identifiers, or field placement so records can be searched consistently, but it does not turn one financial concept, documentary stage, or location into another.
EVIDENCE AND VERIFICATION
What evidence can and cannot establish
What evidence can establish
A published source can establish specific facts such as a project name, procurement reference, approved budget, winning bidder, contract amount, award date, or barangay attribution when those facts are explicitly supported by the record.
What evidence does not automatically establish
One document does not automatically establish every fact about a project. A bid result does not prove contract execution. A contract record does not prove payment or physical completion. An implementation report does not independently establish an award or contract.
What “verified” means
When BetterSanFernando describes a project fact or evidence record as verified, it means the published value is supported by the cited source and recorded provenance. It does not mean BetterSanFernando independently audited the underlying government activity, inspected the project site, or made a legal or compliance determination.
DOCUMENTARY STATUS
Documentary status, not physical progress
A project’s status summarizes the strongest documentary stage currently supported by published evidence. It should not be read as a construction-progress indicator.
Planned
Establishes: A published planning record identifies proposed work.
Does not establish: That procurement began or the work was approved.
Procurement
Establishes: A procurement-stage record identifies a bidding process.
Does not establish: That a bidder won or a contract was executed.
Awarded
Establishes: Award evidence identifies an award decision.
Does not establish: An executed contract, Notice to Proceed, construction, or payment.
Contracted
Establishes: Contract evidence supports contract execution.
Does not establish: A Notice to Proceed, physical progress, payment, or completion.
Implementation Reported
Establishes: An official implementation or utilization report describes project activity.
Does not establish: Procurement award, signed contract, payment, disbursement, or independent physical verification.
These statuses summarize documentary support. They are not a procurement funnel, a project-completion scale, or a measure of physical work performed on site.
RECORD LINKAGE
How evidence is connected to projects
BetterSanFernando links evidence conservatively. Exact project relationships and namespaced references are stronger identity signals than similar wording.
Strong identity signals
- Explicit evidence-to-project relationship
- Exact canonical project relationship
Namespaced references
- APP Code
- BAC / control reference
- PhilGEPS reference
- Contract number
- Source identifier
Not enough on their own
- Similar project title
- Same year
- Same barangay
- Similar amount
Similar names, years, barangays, or amounts may help identify a candidate match, but they are not enough by themselves to merge records.
Identifiers keep their own namespaces
- BetterSanFernando project ID
- Stable public route and record identity.
- APP Code
- Planning and procurement-plan reference.
- BAC / control reference
- Bids and Awards Committee process reference.
- PhilGEPS reference
- Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System reference.
- Contract number
- Contract document reference.
- Source identifier
- Identifier of the supporting evidence record or document.
These identifiers come from different record systems and should not be treated as interchangeable values.
READING PROJECT FIELDS
Money and geography describe different facts
Money fields are not interchangeable
- Estimated budget
- A planning estimate recorded in planning evidence.
- Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)
- The approved procurement budget or ceiling for the contract.
- Winning bid amount
- The amount reported for the winning bid in procurement evidence.
- Contract amount
- The amount supported by published contract-related evidence.
- Fund utilization amount
- An amount reported in a separate utilization context.
- Actual expenditure
- Not established by the current published project dataset.
ABC ≠ winning bid ≠ contract amount ≠ utilization amount ≠ actual expenditure.
Barangay attribution is not an exact project location
What the map can show
Projects may be attributed to one of San Fernando’s 35 barangays when published evidence supports that relationship.
What the map cannot show
The current project dataset does not publish verified project point coordinates. Barangay attribution should not be interpreted as an exact construction site, parcel, road segment, or facility coordinate.
The Project Map therefore shows the distribution of project records by barangay. It is not an exact project-location map.
MISSING INFORMATION
Missing information stays missing
- 01
We do not turn missing values into zero.
A missing contractor, amount, date, reference, or location stays missing unless a published source establishes it.
- 02
We do not fill gaps from nearby records.
Similar projects or documents do not supply a missing field for another project record.
- 03
A missing record is not proof that something never happened.
It means the current BetterSanFernando dataset has not established that fact from its published evidence.
Unknown, unavailable, and not established are not the same as zero, false, or not applicable.
COVERAGE AND LIMITS
What this dataset covers
Bounded project collection
BetterSanFernando currently publishes a bounded collection of infrastructure and public-works project records assembled from identified public sources. It is not a complete legal register of all projects, procurements, contracts, payments, or City Government activity.
Source labels
“Official source” describes the recorded source authority and provenance. It does not mean the source agency endorses BetterSanFernando.
No legal or performance findings
The presence or absence of a record is not a finding of legality, compliance, wrongdoing, project quality, project completion, or performance.
Records can change
Published records may be corrected or expanded when stronger or newer source evidence becomes available. For consequential decisions or formal citation, check the linked official document and its date.
BEFORE YOU RELY ON A RECORD
A quick verification checklist
- 01Open the cited official source.
- 02Check the document date and whether newer information exists.
- 03Confirm which project field the source actually establishes.
- 04Keep ABC, winning bid, contract amount, utilization, and expenditure separate.
- 05Treat missing information as unknown, not zero or proof of absence.
- 06Treat barangay attribution as area-level unless a verified exact location is published.
BetterSanFernando is designed to make public records easier to inspect, not to replace the official source.
KEEP EXPLORING
Explore the project data
Project Evidence
Inspect the official-source records behind published project facts.
City Projects
Browse the current published infrastructure and public-works project collection.
Related resources
Project Map
See how published project records are distributed across San Fernando’s barangays.
Procurement Overview
Understand how project, bid, award, and contract evidence relate.
Project Statistics
Explore descriptive statistics for the current published project collection.
Transparency Methodology
See how BetterSanFernando handles broader publication, sources, and transparency data.