Skip to main content

Available for new projectsCebu, Philippines · UTC+8

Richard Joseph PorterSenior Full-Stack Developer

Laravel & PHP at the coreReact, Vue & React NativeAWS infrastructure14+ years experience

I build Laravel applications and modernize legacy PHP, with React, Next.js, TypeScript or Vue on the front end and React Native for mobile. I also set up the AWS infrastructure and deploy pipelines they run on.

Get in touchView my work
Richard Joseph Porter - Senior full-stack developer with 14+ years experience in Laravel, React, Vue.js, and AWS based in Cebu, Philippines
years shipping
14+
Laravel, React, Vue
Web
React Native, Expo
Mobile

Working remotely with teams in the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.

  • Replies within 24h

About

14+ years on the web, from Laravel 4 to React Native and AWS

I'm a senior web developer based in Cebu, Philippines, with 14+ years of experience building web applications for companies around the world. It started with a BS in Information Technology from the University of Cebu and grew through hands-on work on products that real teams depend on every day.

Laravel and Vue.js are still the core of my work. Lately I've also been building React and Next.js front ends in TypeScript, React Native and Expo mobile apps, and the AWS infrastructure and deploy pipelines underneath them.

I use AI coding tools like Claude Code every day, but the design, code review, testing, and release decisions stay with me. I'm used to running several projects at once, and I put a lot of weight on clear communication: turning a client's or team's idea into software that ships, then keeping it healthy.

Focus areas

  • Laravel apps & APIs
  • React, Next.js & Vue front ends
  • React Native & Expo apps
  • AWS infrastructure & CI/CD
  • Payments & subscriptions
  • Legacy PHP modernization
ResumePDF

Experience

Where I've worked

Six roles since 2014, from agency client work to leading development at a UK startup, plus recent contract work.

  1. March 2022 – Present

    Current

    Senior Software Developer

    Solaris Pty Ltd

    Working with a small team of senior software developers to implement new features for Solarplus, a solar CRM system.

    • Deep dive implementation of Mapbox API integration
    • Worked on production environment using Google Cloud Platform
    • Significantly improved performance for several VueJS pages and components
    • Debugged solar panel array geometry, inverter string assignments, and cable routing in the design tool
    • Investigated self-shading in the solar exposure heatmap and added geometry and raycast regression tests

  2. April 2019 – March 2022

    Lead Developer

    CoBabble UK Ltd.

    Involved in planning, developing, and maintaining the CoBabble web application and REST APIs for iOS and Android apps.

    • Switched production environment to serverless architecture using Laravel Lambda
    • Implemented AWS production environment using EC2, SES, S3, and RDS
    • Developed and maintained web application and REST APIs for mobile applications
    • Set up CI/CD with Github Actions and AWS CodeDeploy

  3. November 2019 – April 2022

    Backend Engineer (PHP)

    Cody Web Development Inc.

    Developed APIs for frontend engineers and iOS/Android developers using Laravel framework.

    • Set up production environment using AWS EC2, Load Balancers, S3, RDS, SES, and Route53
    • Improved test-driven development practices
    • Enhanced CI/CD processes
    • Developed web scraping script using Python
    • Created business card scanning service using Google Vision and Natural Language APIs

  4. June 2016 – November 2019

    Web Developer

    StewArt Media

    Implemented website changes for various clients to improve SEO across multiple platforms.

    • Worked with WordPress, Joomla, OpenCart, Magento, and BigCommerce
    • Improved SEO performance for client websites
    • Handled multiple client projects simultaneously

  5. January 2015 – May 2016

    Web Developer

    Internetly Ventures Inc.

    Lead backend developer using Laravel Framework for web application development.

    • Rewrote existing Laravel 4.x application to latest Laravel version
    • Developed complete Invoice module using KnockoutJS framework
    • Migrated web application from shared hosting to cloud server

  6. March 2014 – January 2015

    Web Developer

    M-S-S ASIA LTD.

    Developed bespoke web applications using Laravel Framework for various industries.

    • Created data synchronization module between MSSQL and MySQL databases
    • Developed email parsing system for automated processing
    • Worked with law firms, hotels/resorts, and construction companies

Recent contract & client work

Projects from 2026, listed apart from the employment history above. Private clients are described rather than named.

  1. 2026

    Contract Full-Stack Developer

    Tuskari

    Contract work on an existing Laravel and Vue safari marketplace.

    • Built enquiry-based bookings and multi-quote negotiation, with accepted quotes going to Stripe checkout
    • Added event-driven SendGrid email, a Docker dev environment, and deploy rollback handling in GitHub Actions

  2. 2026

    Mobile App Developer

    Ho'okele

    Built a React Native and Expo subscription app for iOS and Android solo, through store submission.

    • Magic-link sign-in, video and audio playback, PDF and article reading, saved content, and OneSignal push
    • Persistent content caching that clears on sign-out and skips session tokens and expiring media URLs

  3. 2026

    Continuing Product Work

    CoBabble

    Recent project work, separate from the 2019–2022 Lead Developer role above.

    • Stripe trial-code redemption, subscription checkout, and branded mobile-to-web sign-in in the Laravel backend
    • React Native and TypeScript rewrite of the mobile app, still in progress: native compatibility fixes, API schema mapping, and media feature parity

  4. 2026

    AWS Infrastructure & Deployment

    Private client

    Infrastructure only; the client's own developer writes the Laravel application. Staging is deployed and the first production release is pending.

    • Separate staging and production AWS environments in CloudFormation, with EC2, RDS PostgreSQL, S3, and IAM guardrails
    • GitHub Actions deploys through OIDC and Systems Manager: automatic to staging, manually triggered to production
    • Secrets Manager configuration, CloudWatch alarms with Slack alerts, and GCP workload identity federation for Vertex AI access

  5. 2026

    Laravel Feature Development & Maintenance

    Private client

    Ongoing work on an existing Laravel page-builder product.

    • Extended the card editor with YouTube Shorts fields, internal page links, and responsive mobile layouts
    • Added event end times across editing, public pages, cloning, and confirmation email, with regression tests

Selected work

Products I've helped build and ship

Solar design software, a knowledge-sharing platform, a subscription streaming app for iOS and Android, and a safari booking marketplace.

solarplus.co
Solarplus project screenshot showing the application interface

Solarplus

A versatile solar design software that caters to a wide range of users, from small residential installers to commercial engineers and large retail teams. It offers powerful tools for sales, energy and financial modeling, customer management, and proposal generation.

Built for
Residential installers to commercial engineers
Focus
Solar design, energy and financial modeling
Stack
Yii · NuxtJS · GraphQL · MySQL · VueJS
Visit solarplus.co(opens in a new tab)
cobabble.com
CoBabble project screenshot showing the application interface

CoBabble

A simple but powerful knowledge transfer platform for businesses and individuals. Features real-time content delivery, video centric contents, analytics, and a user-friendly mobile app.

Built for
Businesses and individual learners
Focus
Real-time, video-first content delivery
Stack
Laravel · VueJS · MySQL · React Native · AWS
Visit cobabble.com(opens in a new tab)
iOS · Android
Ho'okele project screenshot showing the application interface

Ho'okele

A native iOS and Android subscription app where members stream video, listen to audio, and read PDFs and articles. I built it solo from spec to store submission: magic-link sign-in, a video player that collapses into a floating mini-player, saved content, push notifications, and automated TestFlight and Google Play builds.

Built for
Individual subscribers
Focus
Mobile video, audio, and reading
Stack
React Native · Expo · TypeScript · TanStack Query · Zustand · OneSignal · EAS

Private client app. Ask me about it

tuskari.com
Tuskari project screenshot showing the application interface

Tuskari

A UK safari marketplace connecting travelers with tour operators across Africa. I joined the existing Laravel and Vue platform as a contract developer and built its enquiry-to-booking flow: operators send quotes in real-time chat, travelers negotiate or accept, and accepted quotes go back to Stripe checkout. I also built the event-driven SendGrid email system, a Docker dev environment, and the CI/CD deploy pipeline with automatic rollback.

Built for
Safari travelers and tour operators
Focus
Enquiries, quote negotiation, and booking
Stack
Laravel · Vue 3 · Inertia.js · MySQL · Stripe · SendGrid · Laravel Reverb · GitHub Actions · AWS EC2
Visit tuskari.com(opens in a new tab)

Smaller and in-progress builds

Recent personal and pre-launch work, labeled by status rather than presented as client production systems.

  • FORJ

    Personal project

    A fitness app with an AI program builder on the Anthropic API. Chat sessions are stored per user with ownership checks and rate limits, and generated programs are validated, with a corrective retry, before they're saved. Installable as a PWA with offline reads.

    Go · Fiber · PostgreSQL · Next.js · TypeScript · Anthropic API

  • Travel & Tours

    Pre-launch

    A booking and dispatch system with vehicle availability, pricing, deposits, rebooking, and operational reports. The TypeScript client is generated from the API contract. PayMongo checkout and webhooks are built but not yet taking live payments.

    Laravel · React · TypeScript · PostgreSQL · PayMongo

  • Web Telemetry

    Personal project

    Browser dashboards for American and Euro Truck Simulator, fed by a Node.js bridge that reads game telemetry from shared memory. Includes route planning and trip and fuel history.

    Node.js · WebSockets · Koffi

Skills

The stack, with context

Years for the tools I've used in production for a long stretch. Newer ones show where I've used them instead of a guessed number.

Languages

  • PHP14+ yrs
  • JavaScript12+ yrs
  • HTML & CSS14+ yrs
  • TypeScriptWeb and mobile projects
  • Python3+ yrs
  • GoPersonal project API

Web & mobile

  • Laravel10+ yrs
  • VueJS6+ yrs
  • NuxtJS4+ yrs
  • React & Next.jsPersonal builds, this site
  • React Native & ExpoiOS and Android apps
  • Inertia.jsClient marketplace
  • TailwindCSS3+ yrs

APIs & integrations

  • REST APIsMost Laravel projects
  • GraphQL3+ yrs
  • StripeSubscriptions, checkout
  • PayMongoPre-launch build
  • MapboxSolar design tooling
  • SendGrid & OneSignalEmail and push

Data

  • MySQL14+ yrs
  • MS SQL5+ yrs
  • PostgreSQLRecent apps, RDS

Cloud & DevOps

  • AWS6+ yrs
  • Google Cloud4+ yrs
  • Docker4+ yrs
  • GitHub Actions3+ yrs
  • Laravel Vapor2+ yrs
  • CloudFormationClient infrastructure, 2026

AI & automation

  • Claude CodeDaily, with human review
  • Anthropic APIPersonal project
  • Python automationInternal tools

AlsojQuery & Bootstrap, AngularJS, CodeIgniter & Yii, WordPress & other CMSs, PHPUnit, Jest & Playwright, SEO, Technical documentation, Client relations

Testimonials

From the people I've built with

5.0 average · 3 client reviews

I had the pleasure of working with Richard on a complex e-commerce platform rebuild. Richard consistently impressed me with his ability to balance technical excellence with strategic thinking. He didn't just execute tasks - he actively participated in planning sessions and proposed innovative solutions that often exceeded our expectations. His code quality was outstanding, but what really set him apart was his collaborative approach and mentoring of junior developers. When we encountered unexpected challenges with third-party integrations, Richard's problem-solving skills kept the project on track. He's the kind of developer who makes everyone around him better, and I wouldn't hesitate to work with him again.

Wayne DennerCo-Founder, CoBabble

“Richard is everything you need in a senior web developer. He's super skilled at development work but he also thinks about what he's doing. Rather than just develop, he thinks about the process, the overall purpose and comes to the table with suggestions and often a better way of achieving the desired outcome. Excellent communicator, hard worker and a real asset to our team. I highly recommend Richard and would be happy to endorse him in any way required.”

Barry Lee CummingsStrategic Advisor, CoBabble

“I worked with Richard for approximately a year on a mobile app application for a startup in Japan. During my time working with him, he was a very skilled back-end engineer that helped the team develop the app. Not only he possess excellent technical skills, he was also a team member with great communication skills that eases the developing process. There were many times where the specifications given were incorrect but Richard managed to understand the instructions and gave better solutions which was well praised by the client. I enjoyed working with Richard and would recommend him to anyone that is looking for a trustable employee. Hopefully one day I can work with Richard once again.”

Ian SooCTO, Time Machine Co., Ltd.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about working with me on your Laravel and PHP projects.

Have a different question? Ask me directly

How much does it cost to hire a Laravel developer?
My Laravel development services start at $500 for smaller projects like API integrations or bug fixes. Legacy Laravel upgrades typically range from $500-$5,000 depending on the application complexity, while full API development projects start at $1,500. I provide detailed quotes after understanding your specific requirements during a free consultation.
Can you work remotely with my team?
Absolutely. I've worked remotely with teams across the globe for over 14 years, including clients in the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia. I'm based in Cebu, Philippines (UTC+8), which provides good overlap with both US and European business hours. I use tools like Slack, GitHub, and video calls to maintain clear communication.
What is your process for upgrading legacy Laravel applications?
I follow a proven 4-phase approach: First, I conduct a comprehensive codebase audit to document the current state and identify risks. Second, I create a detailed migration plan with clear milestones. Third, I perform the upgrade incrementally with thorough testing at each step. Finally, I implement automated testing and CI/CD to prevent future technical debt. This approach has successfully upgraded applications from Laravel 4.x through to the latest versions.
How quickly can you start on a new project?
I typically have availability within 1-2 weeks for new projects. For urgent bug fixes or critical issues, I can often accommodate faster timelines. I maintain limited project slots to ensure each client receives dedicated attention and high-quality work.
Do you provide ongoing maintenance and support?
Yes, I offer flexible maintenance packages that include security updates, bug fixes, performance monitoring, and minor enhancements. For larger ongoing needs, I provide retainer arrangements with priority support and guaranteed availability. Many clients continue working with me for years after the initial project.