The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has begun using blockchain technology to record and publish key budget documents, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency in public fund releases.
Through a new portal, the DBM now places Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) and Notices of Cash Allocation (NCAs) on-chain. The system makes these records tamper-resistant and allows the public to verify authorizations and releases.
The platform was developed in partnership with BayaniChain and ExakIT Services.
Budget documents are first generated through the DBM’s Action Document Releasing System, then secured on BayaniChain’s blockchain infrastructure.
Approved SAROs and NCAs are immutably recorded on the Polygon blockchain, with access limited to specific data fields under the Prismo Protocol to balance transparency and privacy.
From 2024 onward, documents can be retrieved by scanning the QR code printed on official SAROs and NCAs, or by searching the database by document type, department, or agency.
According to the DBM, the initiative is part of a broader effort to digitize the full budget cycle — from planning to audit — using blockchain and artificial intelligence for monitoring and anomaly detection. Pilot projects are also being planned for procurement and fund tracking.
Officials said the goal is to create a verifiable system of public financial management that reduces opportunities for tampering and increases public access to budget information.
