PHP still runs a huge share of the web, including WordPress, WooCommerce and countless custom business systems. A lot of that code was written years ago, by different people, for older PHP versions. It needs someone who can read it, fix it, upgrade it and extend it without breaking the business that depends on it.
I'm Aldrian, an independent developer in the Philippines. I work with PHP every week, on WordPress, WooCommerce and custom applications.
PHP work I've done
A security plugin on WordPress.org
Jibong Purr-tection is my free WordPress security plugin, written in PHP and JavaScript and approved for the official WordPress.org directory. It includes a web application firewall that checks every request as soon as plugins load, a malware scanner that compares files with official checksums and scans other PHP files in small background steps, and login security with two-factor sign-in and passkeys. Building it meant working deep inside WordPress's request lifecycle, background processing and security APIs.
A PHP 7.4 to 8.4 upgrade on a live store
For Artic Flex, a busy WooCommerce store, I moved the whole site from PHP 7.4 to PHP 8.4. That meant reviewing the child theme's outdated WooCommerce template overrides one by one, patching plugins for PHP 8.4 compatibility and replacing unmaintained ones. The upgrade was proven on staging before going live, and 357 live pages were checked afterward, with checkout, subscriptions and affiliate forms tested.
WordPress builds
Full WordPress sites like Origin Code Technology and the National Business Concepts revamp.
What I can help with
PHP version upgrades
Older PHP versions stop receiving security updates. Upgrading brings better speed and security, but old code often breaks. I find and fix incompatibilities, test on staging and upgrade safely.
WordPress and WooCommerce development
Custom themes, plugins, blocks, hooks and integrations. See custom WordPress plugins.
Bug fixing
Fatal errors, white screens, broken features and strange behavior, tracked down through logs and debugging, not guesswork.
Refactoring
Turning tangled code into clean, tested, documented code without changing what it does. See clean code refactoring.
Performance
Slow queries, heavy hooks and inefficient loops found and fixed. See server and database optimization.
Security fixes
Escaping output, validating input, preparing queries, adding permission checks and removing secrets from code.
Custom PHP applications
Maintaining and extending custom PHP systems, or planning a move to a modern stack. See legacy rebuilds.
API integrations
Connecting PHP sites with payment gateways, CRMs, couriers and other services.
How I write PHP
- Modern syntax with type declarations and strict comparisons where they help
- Security first: validate input, escape output, prepared queries, nonces and capability checks in WordPress
- WordPress standards for WordPress code, following the coding standards and plugin guidelines
- Composer and autoloading for custom projects where appropriate
- Small functions with clear names
- Version control for every change
- Comments where the reason behind the code isn't obvious
Working on someone else's code
Most of my PHP work involves code someone else wrote. My approach:
- Read before changing, and understand how the pieces connect
- Set up a safe copy to work on
- Reproduce the problem or confirm the requirement
- Make the smallest correct change
- Test the change and the things around it
- Explain what I changed and why
No judgment about past code. Every codebase has history, and my job is to make it better from here.
Also more than PHP
Besides PHP, I build with TypeScript, React and modern serverless platforms like Cloudflare Workers. My Ghostly encrypted chat app is built that way. That means I can recommend when PHP is the right tool and when a different stack fits better, without bias.
Common PHP problems I see
Deprecated functions that stop working on newer PHP versions.
Business logic in theme files, which disappears on redesign.
Copied WooCommerce templates that went stale.
Raw SQL with user input, which risks injection.
Secrets in code, like API keys committed to repositories.
Errors displayed to visitors, revealing file paths and details.
Safe deployments
Changes to PHP code should never be uploaded straight to a live server by hand. I work with version control, test on staging and deploy in a repeatable way, with a rollback ready if something unexpected happens. For WordPress sites without a deployment process, I can set one up, so future changes are safer for everyone who works on the site.
Same time zone, quick replies
Being in the Philippines means local clients get same-day replies during business hours. For clients abroad, I overlap well with Australian business hours and with US mornings or evenings.
What it usually costs
Small fixes are quoted after a quick look. Upgrades, plugins and refactoring are quoted as fixed-price projects after I review the code. You'll know the cost before I start.
How we'd work
- Tell me what you need and share access to the code.
- I review and explain what's involved.
- You get a quote with timeline and fixed price.
- I work on staging with version control.
- We test together.
- I deploy and document the changes.
Let's fix and improve your PHP code
Tell me about your project. I'll reply with next steps and a fixed quote.
