DBM’s Blockchain project: Why I asked for clarification

On September 11, 2025, I sent a formal letter of clarification to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) regarding its blockchain initiative, officially titled “Subscription to Immutable and Verifiable Attributes (Blockchain) for the Action Document Releasing System (ADRS).”

The letter was prompted by three glaring contradictions between DBM’s official documents, PhilGEPS records, and the project’s public launch.

According to DBM’s own Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Resolution No. 2024-70, the blockchain ADRS project was already awarded in February 2024. Yet, as of today, PhilGEPS lists the exact same project under active procurement, with a pre-bid conference scheduled for September 9, 2025, and bid opening on September 23, 2025.

The resolution further asserts that Invitations to Bid were posted on May 28, June 30, and July 30, 2024, across PhilGEPS, DBM’s website, and bulletin boards. However, a thorough review of the PhilGEPS archives reveals no corresponding entries for those dates.

To complicate matters, DBM officially launched the blockchain project on July 31, 2025, almost two months before the scheduled bid opening, which is still visible on PhilGEPS. This raises the uncomfortable question: how can a project already launched be awaiting procurement at the same time?

Public procurement hinges on transparency, consistency, and accountability. When official records and timelines don’t align, it casts doubt not only on one project but also on the credibility of the entire process. That is why I asked DBM to clarify:

• Is the current PhilGEPS posting part of the same blockchain project, or a separate component?
• If the “Subscription to Immutable and Verifiable Attributes (Blockchain) for the Action Document Releasing System (ADRS)” project was awarded in 2024, why is it still under bidding in 2025?
• Were the claimed postings in 2024 ever published, and if so, where are the records?

Until DBM provides an official explanation, the blockchain ADRS remains a case study in the importance of independent oversight and public scrutiny in government technology projects.