BLOCKCHAIN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES: A SCOPING REVIEW ON ITS POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE PUBLIC TRUST AND PREVENT CORRUPTION

Blockchain has been widely acknowledged as a viable technology for governance that can potentially resolveissues related to transparency, accountability, and public trust, which have been the main challenges in publicservice delivery in the Philippines over the years. This scoping review collects available evidence regarding theuse of blockchain in public governance and assesses its relevance, feasibility, and effects on administrativereform in the Philippines. The review, which was conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR framework and theArksey and O'Malley method, considered peer-reviewed articles, prototypes, feasibility studies, and reliablegray literatures published in the period from 2020 to 2025. In total, 13 sources were found eligible and subjectedto thematic synthesis. The results point to four major areas in which blockchain technology can be largelyinstrumental: (1) enhancing transparency and auditability by creating public records that cannot be altered andcan be verified; (2) procurement and public financial management whereby the use of smart contracts leads tothe traceability of the process and reduction in the collusion risks; (3) digital identity and administrativeverification through the extent of credential integrity and sharing of data among various agencies; and (4) publictrust and socio-technical acceptance that depend on institutional credibility, privacy protection, and the readinessof stakeholders. However, until now, the performance of blockchain technology in the Philippine governancesystem is dependent on conditions such as institutional capacity, clear regulations, interoperability, andcontinuous citizen trust. The study, hence, articulates the overall positions of the review in agreement with theuse of blockchain technology to realize specific governance reforms in the Philippines through a phased, wellregulated, and context-sensitive approach. It further uncovers the research gaps and gives directions to thepolicymakers, practitioners, and researchers in evaluating the role of blockchain in the modernization of thepublic sector.