BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong is pushing for the adoption of blockchain technology to enhance transparency, accountability, and integrity in public service.

“Blockchain technology was really designed to secure documents,” Magalong said in a position paper he delivered before a Senate Committee on Science and Technology hearing chaired by Sen. Bam Aquino recently.

“The core of our initiative is simple. The entire country has been in the public eye, nationally and globally, in another corruption scandal,” the Magalong said as he stressed the urgent need to break the country’s long-standing cycle of “structural, systemic, well-organized, and highly syndicated” corruption.

He said that trust is the cornerstone of any institution and that “every Filipino deserves government systems that are not only efficient but also inherently trustworthy.”

Magalong cited Baguio’s commitment to digital governance and participation by being only among four local government units in the country to have joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global network promoting transparency and citizen engagement.

“The OGP follows a basic principle that local governments that practice transparency, accountability, and strong citizens' participation are more progressive in terms of growth and development. And that's the reason why Baguio City is a member,” he said.

“We are not afraid because it's about transparency. If you're not doing anything wrong, you shouldn't be afraid. And that's why we're pursuing an open government policy,” Magalong added.

He said the city has collaborated with Bayani Chain, a blockchain platform designed to strengthen public accountability by providing permanent audit trails and promoting participatory governance.

Magalong underscored the project’s rapid pace of implementation. “We are going live on Oct. 15, just one month after starting the partnership,” he revealed.

City Management Information Technology Division (MITD) chief Francis Camarao said blockchain technology is a digital system that stores information and makes it immutable, transparent and resistant to tampering or hacking.

Magalong said the greatest challenge lies not in the technology itself but in the willingness to open data, including critical information such as programs of work, contracts, bidding documents, and technical plans which Baguio is “very much willing to do.”

He cited the ability of blockchain technology to ensure permanent traceability and auditability of infrastructure documents and procurement records as a key advantage over traditional systems.

To ensure that it is people-driven and not just technology-driven, he said the city, spearheaded by the MITD, is currently conducting training and knowledge-sharing sessions for its personnel.