AI Over Blockchain: Experts Urge Smarter Tech Use for Government Transparency
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. BitPinas has no commercial relationship with any mentioned entity unless otherwise stated.
📬 Get the biggest crypto stories in the Philippines and Southeast Asia every week — subscribe to the BitPinas Newsletter.
Technologist and AI and data ethics advocate Dominic Ligot called on the government to prioritize using artificial intelligence (AI) over blockchain in promoting transparency.
Table of Contents
AI Instead of Blockchain
In a recent statement, Ligot urged government agencies to shift their attention from blockchain discussions to using AI tools that can process and index public documents, which would make them easily searchable.
He said open-sourcing this information would lead to genuine transparency, calling it the most practical and impactful application of technology today.
“While people debate (read: obsess) over blockchain, deploy AI now to read all government PDFs and Excel sheets [to] make everything searchable. Then open source that dataset. True transparency over a horrible data layer. That’s the killer use case we need now.”
Dominic Ligot, Technologist and AI and Data Ethics Advocate
In response to his post, several commenters agreed that making digital records searchable through AI can significantly enhance transparency, but they also warned that its effectiveness in curbing corruption ultimately depends on the integrity of those managing the data.
James Florentino, a venture builder focusing on blockchain and Unreal Engine, added that open data and AI are “the right tools for this job,” arguing that blockchain only works when participants are incentivized to maintain the network without government mandates.
“The only way blockchain would gain public support is if there are tangible benefits for people to use it. Otherwise, most citizens won’t bother checking whether public project data is on-chain. People expect their government to do its job honestly and effectively, just as you’d expect your own employees to deliver without having to monitor every detail.”
James Florentino, Founder, Chain Crisis
Ligot echoed this, noting that putting only budget data on-chain without tracking project disbursements limits blockchain’s usefulness.
“Also, putting [the] budget on-chain is less useful if project progress updates are off-chain. In the current proposal, only budgets (NEP to GAA) are contemplated. Not even disbursements.”
Dominic Ligot, Technologist and AI and Data Ethics Advocate
Recently, former Solicitor General and Silliman Law Dean Florin Hilbay criticized the proposal to put the budget on the blockchain, arguing that using blockchain for national budget records would add cost and complexity without ensuring transparency. He described the plan as a “centralized database masked in jargon,” warning it could disempower citizens and introduce new vulnerabilities.
Instead, Hilbay proposed simpler, cheaper transparency tools such as a public “National Budget in Action” website and open data access for journalists and researchers.
Blockchain in the Government
Currently, a total of 12 blockchain-related measures have been filed in the 20th Congress, aiming to enhance digital asset regulation, government transparency, and budget accountability.
Nine bills were submitted to the House of Representatives and two to the Senate, with most proposals focused on using blockchain technology to track and manage the national budget.
Among these, the “Blockchain the Budget Bill” (SBN 1330) advanced recently as the Senate Committee on Science and Technology held a public hearing on October 2, 2025, to discuss the measure.
On the other hand, most of the other bills remain pending at the committee level, with most lodged under the House Committee on Appropriations.
Blockchain in Government Departments
Recently, the Department of Public Works and Highways officially adopted the Integrity Chain platform, a blockchain-based system developed by BayaniChain Ventures to enhance transparency and accountability in public infrastructure projects.
- The initiative will initially cover foreign-assisted projects and aims to create tamper-proof records of budgets and milestones.
In September 2025, Baguio City announced that it will pilot GoodGovChain, a blockchain-based governance platform aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in local government operations.
- Led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the initiative will record budgets, procurement data, and infrastructure projects on a secure, auditable blockchain, marking the first local government unit in the country to adopt the system.
Since 2024, the Department of Budget and Management has operated Project Marissa, a blockchain-based system that allows the public to verify budget documents via the Polygon network.
- The platform, accessible at blockchain.dbm.gov.ph, provides immutable records of key financial releases.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology launched eGOVchain in the same year to enhance transparency, security, and efficiency in government transactions as part of its broader digitalization drive.
This article is published on BitPinas: AI Over Blockchain: Experts Urge Smarter Tech Use for Government Transparency
What else is happening in Crypto Philippines and beyond?
