Manila Link Up API

Backend API for Manila Link Up, a job-matching platform connecting domestic workers (seekers) with employers in Manila, Philippines.

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Framework	Laravel 12 (PHP)
Primary datastore	Google Cloud Firestore
Infrastructure DB	SQLite (queues, cache, sessions, Sanctum)
Auth	Firebase Authentication (JWT)
Push notifications	Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)
Firebase SDK	kreait/laravel-firebase v7, google/cloud-firestore v1.55

Architecture

Laravel acts as a thin API and queue layer — Firestore is the source of truth for all business entities (seekers, employers, jobs, applications, chats, ratings, notifications). SQLite holds only Laravel infrastructure tables.

All routes are defined in routes/api.php. Business action endpoints use POST even for reads (e.g. /jobs/list). Admin analytics endpoints use GET. All JSON fields use camelCase.

Local Setup

git clone <repo>
cd manilalinkup-api

composer install
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate
php artisan migrate

Add your Firebase service account JSON path to .env:

FIREBASE_CREDENTIALS=path/to/serviceAccount.json

Start the server:

php artisan serve

WSL2 note: google/cloud-firestore v1.55 uses gRPC only. On WSL2, add zend.max_allowed_stack_size = -1 to php.ini to prevent stack overflow. Find it with php --ini | grep "Loaded Configuration".

Authentication

All endpoints require a Firebase ID token:

Authorization: Bearer <firebase_id_token>

Admin endpoints additionally require the caller's UID to exist in the admins Firestore collection.

User Roles

• Seeker — registers, sets up profile (ID + clearance upload), browses jobs, applies, chats with employers, rates
• Employer — registers, sets up profile, posts jobs, manages applicants, hires, rates
• Admin — reviews pending verifications, views platform analytics

Seekers and employers must be verified by an admin before they can apply or post jobs.

Key Features

• Curated job feed based on seeker preferences (tags, salary, location)
• Application lifecycle: Pending → Interview → Hired → Completed
• In-app notifications + FCM push notifications
• Bayesian average ratings for both seekers and employers
• Admin dashboard analytics (overview, funnel, timeseries, user stats, tag stats, rating stats)
• Document verification workflow (ID + police clearance upload)

Location

Jobs, seekers, and employers are scoped to the 16 official districts of Manila:

Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa, Tondo

Docs

• docs/API.md — full endpoint reference (request/response shapes)
• docs/FIRESTORE.md — Firestore collections and field schemas

Firebase Plan

This app runs on the free tier (Spark plan). Features that require Blaze (Cloud Functions, Cloud Run) are not used.