Questions over possible vendor lock-in in the Philippine government’s blockchain initiatives surfaced this week during a public policy discussion, as industry figures debated whether early projects risk becoming dependent on a single technology provider.

The issue was raised during a BitPinas-hosted government blockchain forum on February 4, where participants questioned the growing visibility of BayaniChain, a local blockchain firm involved in several government pilots, including projects linked to budget and public finance systems.

Critics argued that when technical requirements appear to reference specific products or architectures, it can make it difficult for other vendors to compete, potentially locking government agencies into one provider over the long term.

BayaniChain founder Paul Soliman pushed back against the monopoly narrative, saying the company does not control procurement decisions and is open to competition.

“In terms of monopoly… I can’t really answer that. People can create another BYC and it’s okay with us. In fact, we’re helping some system integrators develop their own capabilities,” Soliman said during the forum.

Soliman added that it was not BayaniChain’s choice to be referenced in government initiatives and suggested that agencies such as the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) make their own decisions based on publicly available information about technology providers.

“Our names and products are Googleable,” he said, adding that vendor selection is ultimately the government’s prerogative.

Not everyone in the room was convinced. BetterGov.PH convenor Jason Torres expressed skepticism, saying he did not fully accept the idea that influence plays no role in shaping technical requirements, though he did not elaborate further during the discussion.

Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP) President Luis Buenaventura offered a more structural explanation, noting that the local market for government-grade blockchain infrastructure remains thin.

“I don’t know enough about how the internals of DBM’s decision making are affecting all of that,” Buenaventura said. “But for a while BayaniChain was the only provider. So if you were going to pick a chain or pick an infrastructure, you wouldn’t have many choices to begin with.”

Buenaventura suggested the situation could change as more providers enter the market and become visible to government agencies.

The debate comes as the Philippine government accelerates its use of blockchain for public sector applications, including document verification and budget transparency systems. As these tools move closer to core government infrastructure, questions around competition, interoperability, and long-term vendor dependence are likely to become more prominent.

For now, the discussion highlights a familiar challenge in emerging technology markets: how to balance rapid adoption with safeguards against over-reliance on any single provider, especially when alternatives are still limited.

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