Local ‘mega app’ to offer more than 100 home services

TECH PROPONENTS (From left): ICITY PH corporate secretary Prime Sison, president and CEO Judith Vergara, vice chair Veronica Yu and chair Johnny Yu —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

In the ever-evolving landscape of mobile apps, super apps have taken center stage. These applications offer a multitude of services, from e-commerce to transportation and food delivery.

ICity PH, a freshly introduced startup by iCity Technologies, Inc., is entering this arena with a “mega app” that offers users a lifetime of benefits through its unique referral program. This is while pitching to bring more than 100 home services—including massage, pet grooming, tutoring, cleaning, carwashing or even fortune telling—right at the doorstep as soon as 30 minutes.

“The greatest feature of ICity is … [it] is actually the first on-demand app in the entire planet to offer a perpetual referral program. How does it work? If you’re a user and you refer to other users, you’ll get 1 percent of all their transactions, not just one time [but] all the time. It’s perpetual,” says ICity PH president and CEO Judith Vergara during the prelaunch event at Okada Manila.

What’s more, the program allows the 1-percent earnings generated from completed transactions made by referred users to extend up to the fifth level of organization.

“And it’s real time. It goes to your e-wallet after the transaction is completed,” she adds.

While users cannot convert these earnings into cash, Vergara explains that this feature is designed to motivate users to keep the app installed and incentivize them to purchase products and services within ICity PH.

Much like Grab and other super apps, ICity PH’s revenues come from a percentage commission shared by vendors as they provide them with marketing support, dashboards and technology solutions.

ICity PH sources the 1 percent from the “maximum of 20 percent” in their commission, plowing back a portion to ICity  PH users.

“[T]his referral program [is] a way to give back to our would-be loyal users and foster a sense of community within the ICity PH ecosystem,” Vergara says.

Distinctive features

While existing super apps already serve the needs of potential users, ICity PH lists four distinctive features designed to keep vendors, service providers and consumers engaged.

Goods and services: Users can make audio and video calls with the rider while purchasing services such as groceries or household items. ICity also offers home repairs, beauty services and parcel and cargo services that allow up to five drops in the same day.

Video consultations: Individuals can access professional advice and consultations from their homes through ICITY PH. Whether seeking medical, legal, or financial guidance, users are seamlessly connected with experts via video calls within the app.

Pet transport: ICity PH specializes in providing safe and convenient pet transport services. This transportation service is exclusively for pets and it does not allow human passengers.

Small projects bidding: For both homeowners and businesses, ICity PH serves as a platform for posting small projects, allowing users to receive competitive bids from local service providers.

To book a service, users need to pick from the variety of choices, namely iRIDE ; for pet transportation thru motorcycle or a four-wheeled vehicle; IDeliver, for parcel and cargo shipping or food delivery; IDemand, for car wash or plumbing services; IConsult, for doctor or veterinarian and others; and Ibid, for carpentry works or plumbing service.

Its delivery driver partners include individuals who hold pet handler certification issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). Freelancers interested in partnering with the platform undergo the accreditation process with the BAI and receive training on sanitization protocols.

ICity PH takes pride in offering a diverse range of home service options, spanning from yoga instructors and engineers to fortune tellers.

In case of larger tasks that demand more than two individuals, like multiple air conditioner cleanings, users have the option to post the task in IBid (small projects bidding) specifying their requirements, and providers on the platform will place their bids for the posted task.

“All our providers and vendors, they’re all legit because we’re a little bit strict when it comes to compliance. We ask for their business permits, certificate of registration with the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue). We make sure that all service providers have the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) clearance and the relevant certificates,” Vergara says.

Indispensable

The app was conceptualized more than two years ago, during the latter stage of the pandemic. iCity Technologies chair Johnny Yu tapped his team of information technology experts, aspiring to create an app that Filipinos “couldn’t live without.”

At ICity PH, everything can be tracked because it incorporates location-based geofencing technology and uses a global positioning system or radio frequency identification (RFID), Wi-Fi or cellular data to activate a preprogrammed action, like sending a notification, when a mobile device or RFID tag crosses a virtual boundary or geofence.

“So let’s say you’re from Mandaluyong City, users can only see vendors and service providers from the same area.”

New ICity PH users cannot simply activate the app without a referral code.

“ICity PH operates on an invitation-only basis. It’s exclusive to users, but inclusive when it comes to merchants,” Vergara says. This is a deliberate plan to “ensure quality” of users and transactions.

To date, the app is still in the onboarding phase (accepting registrations from vendors and service providers). An official launch is targeted by December.

Vergara adds, ICity PH is exclusively accessible in the Metro Manila and Rizal regions for now. They are still actively working toward their goal of forming partnerships with 20,000 merchants.

iCity Technologies, Inc., registered in March 2022, started research and development as early as 2021. Its goal is to streamline the Filipino way of life and bolster the growth of local vendors, freelance service providers and micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as home- and online-based nano businesses, with a simple tap.