The local government of Baguio City in the Philippines has launched a blockchain-based platform designed to improve public access to selected government records while strengthening traceability and auditability.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong and representatives of BayaniChain Tech Inc. signed memorandum of agreement for the launch of Katibayan, an audit-ready digital archiving initiative for public institutions. The project is scheduled to operate for two years and is intended to establish a more transparent system for recording eligible government documents and transactions.

Katibayan applies blockchain technology to create traceable, audit-ready records of selected government documents and transactions, giving the public access to information approved for disclosure.

Platform Targets Transparency

Through the system, the city government can register eligible records on a blockchain, producing a permanent digital trail that can be used for verification and auditing. Records targeted for integration include documents related to infrastructure and construction projects, procurement activities, and city ordinances. These categories cover how public funds are committed and executed, which is where a verifiable record trail carries its most direct accountability value for citizens and auditors.

The platform will operate within existing legal requirements, including rules governing data privacy and the disclosure of government information. City officials will determine which records are prioritized for integration and will review documents before making them available through the public-facing system.

Katibayan also includes a transparency dashboard that allows residents to access records that have been cleared for public disclosure. The approach is intended to give citizens a more direct way to examine selected government activities without requiring access to internal administrative systems.

As of August, the platform had recorded 246 city ordinances and 106 infrastructure contracts, the latter representing a combined value of 275.56 million Philippine pesos, forming an initial body of government records available through the system.

The platform can be accessed through katibayan.ph, while its application is available at app.katibayan.ph.

Blockchain Creates Permanent Record Trail

The use of blockchain is central to the project because information recorded on the network is designed to remain permanently traceable. BayaniChain chief executive officer Paul Soliman explained that information recorded on the blockchain cannot simply be edited or deleted, making document verification an important step before records are added to the system.

That requirement places greater emphasis on the city government's review process. Documents must be checked before being recorded to reduce the possibility of inaccurate or incomplete information becoming part of the permanent digital archive.

If information contained in an existing blockchain record needs to be changed, the platform's approach is to preserve the original file and create a separate record documenting the updated information. This produces a chronological trail that allows users and auditors to distinguish between the original document and subsequent updates, meaning modifications can be tracked without removing the earlier record. The design contrasts with conventional recordkeeping systems, where an entry can often be modified or overwritten in place without a built-in history of what changed.

Two-Year Public Sector Initiative

The agreement between Baguio City and BayaniChain establishes Katibayan as a two-year initiative focused on applying blockchain technology to selected public-sector records. The city government will determine which documents are suitable for integration while maintaining its existing responsibilities for verification, privacy, and lawful disclosure.

Mayor Magalong has positioned the initiative as part of Baguio's broader efforts to make government operations more open and accountable. The project is also intended to strengthen public trust by making selected government information easier for citizens to examine.

The initiative illustrates how local governments are beginning to explore blockchain beyond financial applications. In this case, the technology is being used primarily as a recordkeeping and verification mechanism rather than as a platform for digital assets. Its effectiveness will depend in part on the quality of information entered into the system, the consistency of government verification procedures, and the number of records ultimately made available to the public. Over the two-year term, whether the archive grows beyond the initial 246 ordinances and 106 infrastructure contracts, and how steadily new documents clear the city's review process, will offer concrete indicators of how the platform is being used in practice.

By combining permanent digital records with a public transparency dashboard, Katibayan provides a framework through which citizens can review selected government activities while officials retain control over which information can legally be disclosed, potentially giving citizens a clearer audit trail for selected procurement, infrastructure, and legislative records.

Source: CoinTrust