Private sector organizations are now joining the government’s new “Integrity Chain” initiative, a blockchain-based platform aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in national infrastructure projects.
Donald Patrick L. Lim, president and COO of DITO CME Holdings Corp. and chief innovation officer of Udenna Corp., said the system will now include private groups such as the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines. Lim, who also heads the Blockchain Council of the Philippines, said blockchain technology will help monitor key government agencies and protect integrity in public spending.
“Integrity is doing good while no one is watching. But integrity is protected when everyone else is watching,” Lim said during the Protecting the Digital Workforce forum organized by P&A Grant Thornton.
Lim acknowledged challenges in implementing blockchain for government budgets, noting that many agencies are still not fully digitized. He explained that blockchain data, once entered, cannot be changed—even if it contains errors—making data accuracy crucial.
To address this, Lim said the Integrity Chain will also involve a “people chain” composed of around 50 private organizations that will act as independent monitors.
A memorandum of agreement was signed earlier this month between Lim and Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon to pilot the system. The platform will digitize and secure key data on national projects, including budgets, procurement, and construction progress, all stored on an immutable blockchain ledger accessible to the public.
Lim said the pilot will focus on foreign-assisted projects to avoid political resistance and ensure transparency.
At the same forum, Leonard Duque, chief information officer of P&A Grant Thornton, emphasized the need for safe reporting mechanisms to prevent large-scale corruption. “People are not reporting because they are afraid. There should be platforms that allow whistleblowing and protect those who speak up,” he said.
Meanwhile, Virgilio O. Chua, president of Security Bank Capital Investment Corp., said recent scandals have led to “renewed confidence” from foreign investors in public-private partnerships, though investors still need to conduct their own due diligence.
“As an investment house, we act as underwriters and arrangers, and we perform our own due diligence as if we were the investors ourselves,” Chua said.
