Transparent governance through technology

Last Sept. 30, the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP), in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), took a decisive step toward restoring public trust by launching the Integrity Chain, a blockchain-powered platform developed with the objective to “embed trans-

- JOE ZALDARRIAGA

parency, accountability and public trust into the heart of national infrastructure projects.”

I was given the privilege to witness and be part of the milestone event in my capacity as chairman of the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines. What I witnessed unfold was an initiative that goes beyond a technological upgrade — it is a civic movement to safeguard our country’s resources not just to address issues of today, but also the future.

At its core, blockchain is a tamper-proof digital ledger. IBM defines it as “an immutable or unchangeable and tamper-proof digital ledger or record of all transactions within a network.” Leveraging this technology, the Integrity Chain aims to “transform infrastructure governance by offering a real-time public dashboard that tracks project spending and progress, enabling citizen feedback and anomaly reporting and providing tamper-proof records to deter corruption.”

The initiative comes at a critical juncture for the DPWH, which has recently come under fire for allegations on multi-billion ghost or substandard flood control projects. This triggered widespread public outcry resulting in several rallies across the country, underscoring the urgent need for reform.