Digital Pilipinas Festival 2023: Pioneering the future of ASEAN tech landscape

In a momentous gathering at the Digital Pilipinas Festival, the Philippines took center stage as a flourishing technological hub with the theme “World Meet ASEAN in a Digital Pilipinas.” The festival, driven by the private sector, aims to thrust the Philippines into the forefront of ASEAN’s digital innovation.

Director for International Partnerships at Digital Pilipinas, Dr. Alexander Titov, explains the essence of this year’s festival, emphasizing the collaborative effort across various sectors in driving technological progress in the country.

“We have 12 critical industries like agriculture, education, SME digitalization, e-commerce, cybersecurity, and together with the administration of the President, PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority), BOI (Board of Investments), DTI (Department of Trade and Industry ), DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology), we work in close collaboration to deliver those pilots and projects,” he notes.

The festival underscored the potential for innovation in underdeveloped sectors within the Philippines, with blockchain emerging as a strategic solution to address long-standing issues.

Christine Leong, Chief Information Officer at nChain, stressed the importance of cybersecurity, stating, “the Philippines is the fourth most attacked cyber country globally.”

For her part, security considerations are crucial, especially with significant investments happening in the country.

nChain’s Business Development Lead – Philippines Stephanie Tower further highlighted the significant role of blockchain in cybersecurity. She explained that detecting cyber attacks usually takes an average of 212 days, but with blockchain solutions, she says real-time monitoring can be achieved.

DICT Undersecretary David Almirol gave a keynote address delving into the agency’s initiatives, specifically the recently launched eGov Super App, marking a significant stride in digitalization. The app is a comprehensive platform that offers various services, such as digitalized government IDs.

Leong explained the role of blockchain in digital identity, saying, “Many organizations today, whether that’s Nasdaq using blockchain for settlement or JP Morgan (NASDAQ: JPM) using blockchain for the treasury amongst banks, these are all about the technology.”

In collaboration with Digital Pilipinas, the DTI unveiled the Halal Industry Development Agenda to boost the country’s halal industry. Digital Pilipinas convenor Amor Maclang stressed the importance of blockchain in ensuring the integrity of the halal supply chain.

“The only way to guarantee the halal supply chain is for it to be on-chain,” stated Maclang.

UNISOT, a web3 supply chain traceability platform utilizing the BSV blockchain, shared insights into making supply chains more sustainable through data sharing.

“We can make supply chains sustainable by sharing more data, optimizing logistics, and ensuring transparency,” explained UNISOT’s Chief Financial Officer Torje Sunde.

Maclang also announced Digital Pilipinas’ partnership with nChain.

“Starting this year, nChain will be our blockchain technology partner, with the goal of putting many industries and processes on-chain, ensuring immutability,” Maclang said.

Stefan Matthews, co-founder and executive Chairman of nChain, highlighted active business opportunities in the Philippines, particularly in areas such as blockchain in healthcare systems.

“Transparency in health care systems, all roads seem to lead to Philhealth. I talk about digital transformation, I talk about social impact, there’s no greater social impact than the health care system,” he noted.

The event also explored how content creators can thrive with Web3 tech. Jako De Leon, President of the Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines, emphasized that content creators are exploring different ways of monetizing and protecting their identities and content. For his part, this is only possible with emerging technologies.

Reflecting on the dynamic startup scene in the Philippines, Toffer Briones, Managing Director of Block Dojo Philippines, expressed excitement about the current landscape, saying, “The Philippines is in a good, sweet spot now; the government has a startup venture fund dedicated to investing in startups. You have capital and talent coming together.”

The Digital Pilipinas Festival captured the essence of technological advancement in the Philippines. As the festival concluded, it left a strong impression of progress and collaboration, with the Philippines emerging not only as a technological hub but as a leader in innovation, ready to reshape the digital scene in ASEAN.

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