Philippines marks new milestone for digital transformation

The Philippines has been making strides in digitalizing its critical sectors, partnering with key industry players in harnessing the power and potential of emerging technologies to support this large-scale initiative.

Apart from collaborating with neighboring nations, the Philippines also launched a series of events to educate the general public about emerging technologies, particularly blockchain, in preparation for its widespread use as the government aims to future-proof the country.

Local industry players have long touted the Philippines to be the next blockchain hub in Southeast Asia, following a surge in the adoption of digital currencies and non-fungible tokens, which are hyped up by the gaming sector.

Among major players supporting the Philippines’ digital transformation is global blockchain tech firm nChain, which struck an agreement with the provincial government of Bataan in late January focusing on streamlining government services and procedures.

nChain Group Executive Chairman Stefan Matthews and Elas Digital Co-Founder Brendan Lee, were also present during the Global Blockchain Summit in Bataan last December, where they laid out plans on how to help the country achieve its full potential in terms of blockchain adoption.

The collaboration between nChain and Bataan did not stop there. On May 15, nChain organized a forum on how they plan to implement blockchain solutions in Bataan.

nChain @nChainGlobal hosting the Provincial Government of Bataan for exciting discussions about how to implement Blockchain solutions for Bataan with the purpose of improving the efficiency and transparency of government operations, as well as providing innovative, secure and… pic.twitter.com/e67Sxq2WPl

— Christen Ager-Hanssen (@agerhanssen) May 15, 2023

State agency Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), helmed by newly appointed Director General Tereso Panga, is backing the national government in its digitalization efforts by recently signing an agreement with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Source: Philippine Economic Zone Authority

Under the deal inked last Thursday, PEZA and the DICT will work on developing a “more synchronized and well-coordinated ICT system in the ecozones,” which will pave the way for the more efficient and swift delivery of services to Filipinos.

Speaking during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Pasay City, Panga said the latest partnership with DICT would also benefit the Philippines regarding heightening data protection and upholding transparency through the adoption of e-governance. This is on top of improving the country’s competitiveness as an investment hub for businesses looking to set up operations in the region.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy and Panga said they plan to achieve all this by creating interoperable systems and applications, which will be done following an assessment and evaluation of existing networks.

“By adopting e-governance and advancing the development of various solutions, together, we can eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies, reduce red tape, and provide faster and more convenient access to critical government services,” said Uy.

This is not the first time PEZA voiced its support for the administration of Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr.’s 8-Point Socio-Economic Agenda.

Earlier this May, PEZA unveiled various projects and partnerships with key government agencies and private institutions for its AmBisyon Natin 2040 project, a long-term scheme that strives to develop initiatives to help realize the life Filipinos envision in the next 25 years.

Meanwhile, the DICT recently announced its support for the partnership between BlockchainSpace and telco giant Smart Communications, which held a press conference on May 18, tackling how they seek to increase Web3 adoption in the Philippines.