Baguio Mayor Announces Plans to Use Blockchain For All Government Documents

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Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced that the city government will explore using blockchain technology to secure government documents, including financial records, infrastructure reports, and other technical data.

Blockchain in Baguio

In his State of the City Address on September 1, 2025, at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center, Magalong said the move is part of the city’s commitment to the Open Government Partnership, aimed at making government processes more transparent and accountable.

“As part of the open government partnership, we are taking bold steps to make government processes more open, efficient, accountable and transparent. Our innovation or one innovation that we are now prepared to roll out is the use of blockchain technology for all government documents including financial records, data processes, infrastructure reports, and technical documents, just to name a few.”

Benjamin “Benjie” Magalong, Mayor, Baguio City

Magalong said the use of blockchain allows the city to give the public wider access to government records.

“By securing this through blockchain, we can now open our data for everyone, we will adopt an open data system in the city. Malakas ang loob natin dahil wala tayong ginagawang katiwalian sa siyudad ng Baguio.”

Benjamin “Benjie” Magalong, Mayor, Baguio City

Blockchain in the Government

Since 2024, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has been operating a blockchain-based platform allowing the public to access and verify key budget documents through the Polygon network.

Developed with local firm BayaniChain under Project Marissa, the system publishes immutable versions of Special Allotment Release Orders, Notices of Cash Allocation, and related records at blockchain.dbm.gov.ph. 

In 2024, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) rolled out eGOVchain, a blockchain-powered platform designed to enhance transparency, security, and efficiency in government transactions. Launched during National ICT Month, the project forms part of the agency’s wider digitalization efforts and aims to safeguard sensitive information, curb fraud, and simplify processes.

Bills on Blockchain Integration

SNB 1330: Blockchain the Budget Bill

On September 2, 2025, Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV filed Senate Bill 1330, or the “Blockchain the Budget Bill,” seeking to place the government’s budget and financial transactions on a blockchain platform.

Announced at the Manila Tech Summit, the proposal aims to boost transparency and accountability by enabling citizens to track expenditures in real time, potentially making the Philippines the first country to put its entire national budget on-chain.

Recently, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda expressed support for the bill, highlighting blockchain’s potential to improve transparency in government transactions. The Information and Communications Technology Secretary noted that the technology is already being used in various sectors.

House Bill No. 421: AN ACT CREATING THE STRATEGIC BITCOIN RESERVE AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Introduced by Camarines Sur Representative Miguel Luis Villafuerte on June 30, 2025, the bill was filed in the Philippine Congress and seeks to establish a government-managed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and place the cryptocurrency alongside gold and foreign currency to strengthen financial stability. 

House Bill No. 421 directs the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to purchase 2,000 BTC each year for five years. The reserve will remain in cold storage for at least two decades under a proof-of-reserve system. 

It aims to make the Philippines the first Asian nation to legislate a state-run Bitcoin reserve.

House Bill 4075: An Act Institutionalizing the Use of Blockchain Technology to Promote Transparency, Accountability and Efficiency in Government Operations and for Other Purposes

Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Angelo Marcos Barba filed House Bill 4075, which seeks to institutionalize the use of blockchain technology in government operations to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency. 

Filed on August 27, 2025, the proposed measure aims to ensure tamper-proof and transparent transactions while modernizing public services to make them faster, safer, and more accessible. Barba said the bill is intended to strengthen accountability, build public trust, and lay the groundwork for a digitally empowered Philippines. The measure is pending first reading in the House of Representatives.

This article is published on BitPinas: Baguio Mayor: Blockchain Can Bring Transparency To Local Governance

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