DICT holds public hearing on proposed national blockchain design

• Photo courtesy of Ann Cuisia

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has convened a public hearing on its proposed national blockchain design, as the government moves toward its ambition of becoming a benchmark country in using blockchain technology for the entire national budget system.

The hearing brought together officials from the DICT, led by Undersecretary for e-Governance David Almirol, alongside tech enthusiasts and members of the local blockchain community, signaling an effort to ground the initiative in both policy and real-world technical expertise.

In a Facebook post following the session, tech enthusiast and TraXion CEO Ann Cuisia shared insights from the discussion, underscoring the scale—and the conditions—under which the project could succeed.

“It was ambitious, and yes, it can be done, provided the design starts from the problem, not from vendors or tools,” Cuisia said.

“The specification must be solution-driven, grounded in how public data actually moves, and aligned with accountability outcomes, visible and accessible by both government and private citizens to address eroding trust of the public,” she added.

Cuisia further emphasized that “national blockchain must be intentionally designed to support both confidentiality and non-repudiable authorship, ensuring that data contributors are protected while accountability over who submitted what, and when, remains verifiable.”

She also expressed appreciation for the way the hearing was conducted, describing Almirol as “someone who clearly understands technology, structured data, ground-up planning, and intentional system design.”

“More importantly, he listened. The comments and cautions raised by technologists who actually work with blockchain were taken seriously,” Cuisia said.

Looking ahead, she noted that collaboration between government and industry will be critical as the initiative moves forward. 

“We look forward to collaborating with [the] Department of Information and Communications Technology and contributing in ways that align with the CADENA Act, ensuring the proper use of technology and, just as critical, the proper use of the people’s money,” she said.

DICT, on its website, said the proposed Digital Bayanihan Chain is designed to ensure that every peso of Filipino taxpayers’ money is recorded in a permanent, tamper-proof digital ledger. 

The system is intended to cover the entire budget lifecycle—from congressional approval and fund disbursement to expenditure and reporting—with each transaction carrying a digital seal that can be independently verified by the public, even decades into the future.

According to the agency, digitizing the budget process through blockchain is expected to significantly reduce opportunities for corruption by making unauthorized alterations nearly impossible. 

The initiative is also positioned to strengthen transparency by allowing citizens, media, and watchdog groups to trace public funds from approval to actual spending, while preserving records across administrations and reinforcing public trust through verifiable data.