Michael Angelo CantaraMAC.

Career

Work Experience

Hands-on roles in software engineering, IT operations, and team leadership.

March 2026 — Present

Developer

FreeDiving Coaches of Asia (FCOA), Remote

  • Develop and maintain production features for FCOA, a certification platform serving 3,500+ users worldwide, contributing across the frontend, backend, APIs, database enhancements, testing, and technical documentation using PHP, Laravel, MySQL, and PHPUnit.
  • Designed and implemented configurable administrative features for course management, including membership eligibility rules, prerequisite validation, teaching credits, personal best records, spirometer requirements, certificate approval workflows, and customizable notifications, reducing reliance on developer intervention for routine administration.
  • Built reusable backend and UI components by centralizing business logic, validation, loading states, email normalization, image storage utilities, and form behaviors, improving maintainability, consistency, and user experience across the application.
  • Enhanced platform functionality by implementing production features including a configurable membership rule engine, real-time notification improvements, dynamic discipline management, advanced member search, responsive interfaces, and accessibility-focused UI enhancements.
  • Diagnosed and resolved production issues involving validation, middleware, data consistency, exports, notification workflows, and administrative tools, improving application stability and operational reliability.
  • Collaborated directly with clients to gather requirements, demonstrate completed features, and refine functionality based on stakeholder feedback while contributing to a two-member development team using Git-based workflows.
January 2026 — May 2026

Web Developer & Technical Support Intern

College of Computer Studies, University of Perpetual Help System DALTA-Molino Campus, Bacoor, Cavite

  • Co-developed, deployed, and maintained E-P.A.T.R.O.L., a production patrol logging system for the PNP, serving as a primary full-stack developer responsible for frontend development, backend services, database design, authentication, deployment, and system maintenance.
  • Engineered full-stack features using React, TypeScript, Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Tailwind CSS, and Railway, including REST APIs, role-based authentication, and database architecture.
  • Configured production deployments on Railway, managing databases, storage buckets, environment variables, and application releases for operational use.
  • Collaborated directly with PNP Bacoor stakeholders through 15+ client meetings, presenting system progress, gathering feedback, and refining features throughout development.
  • Delivered a production system supporting the daily operations of 200+ police officers across PNP Bacoor and PNP Santa Rosa.
  • Built additional institutional systems, including the Course Syllabus Generator, Dean Faculty Evaluation System, and CCS Website, to support the college's academic and administrative operations.
  • Installed and configured development environments and certification software across 100 laboratory computers while troubleshooting hardware, software, and network issues to maintain classroom readiness.
  • Delivered technical demonstrations, deployment briefings, and training sessions for faculty, law enforcement stakeholders, and students, including serving as a resource speaker on Google Docs and Microsoft Word.
June 2025 — November 2025

Lead Developer (University Capstone Project)

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA-Molino Campus, Bacoor, Cavite

  • Led the end-to-end development of Phalanx Cyber Academy by directing a 4-member team using an Iterative and Incremental Development SDLC and coordinating 20 weekly development cycles.
  • Designed the system architecture and managed technical planning, task delegation, code reviews, and development timelines, delivering the project on schedule and achieving 90% completion during the first capstone phase.
  • Engineered the full-stack web application using Flask, JavaScript, PostgreSQL (Supabase), Tailwind CSS, and Vercel, implementing the frontend, backend, REST APIs, deployment pipeline, and technical documentation.
  • Implemented secure authentication and authorization features, including passwordless email login, role-based access control, Argon2 password hashing, CSRF protection, secure session management, and IP-based account lockout.
  • Designed a scalable PostgreSQL database and implemented 110 REST API endpoints for an architecture supporting up to 50,000 monthly active users.
  • Established Git and GitHub development workflows through feature branching, pull request reviews, debugging support, and merge validation to improve code quality and team collaboration.
  • Validated the platform through evaluations involving 246 students and 5 cybersecurity experts, achieving Very High ratings under ISO 25010 and ISO 27001 quality standards.
February 2022 — April 2022

Virtual Advocacy Head Organizer (Senior High Work Immersion)

12SEA, Statefields School Inc., Bacoor, Cavite

  • Led a 14-member team in a virtual advocacy campaign promoting sustainable water practices.
  • Coordinated design, research, and promotion sub-teams to ensure timely project delivery.
  • Achieved 2,342 impressions and 370 engagements across digital campaign materials.
  • Reported weekly progress updates to the work immersion adviser to maintain alignment and accountability.
February 2022

IT Department Team Leader (Senior High Work Immersion)

Creotec Philippines Inc., Bacoor, Cavite

  • Led a 22-member team to design and develop 5 software applications within a 1-week sprint.
  • Managed development workflow across design, coding, testing, and documentation phases.
  • Facilitated coordination between teams to ensure on-time delivery of all outputs.
  • Structured team meetings to improve alignment, accountability, and execution speed.