by Micaela Reyes and Dean Roberto Martin Galang

A Platform to Imagine Better Public Services

At ADB’s Asia Pacific Digital Transformation Forum 2025, the Ateneo Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD) Center brought something to life: a DPI exhibit that showed how inclusive, people-centered services could actually work — not just in theory, but on the ground.

Co-created in just two weeks through the Ateneo Technical Resource Lab (TRL), with support from Co-Develop and close collaboration with Digital Public Goods (DPG) partners, the exhibit wasn’t perfect — but it was real.

DPI is a form of GovTech focused on building shared digital systems — like identity, payments, and data exchange — that governments and institutions can use to deliver public services more efficiently and equitably.

A Story Grounded in Real Needs

We started with a simple question: What if public service delivery in the Philippines were truly seamless, inclusive, and designed for the people who need it most?

To explore this, we created a fictional story grounded in common challenges: fragmented ID systems, missing civil records, hard-to-reach households, and inaccessible cash transfers.

Meet Lorna, a 38-year-old mother from Dolores, Eastern Samar. She lives in a typhoon-prone coastal town with her four children. Since losing her husband two years ago, she’s done everything she can to keep her family afloat — but her access to government services has been delayed, inconsistent, and full of dead ends.

Here’s how her journey changes when the systems start working together:

1. Trusted Identity as the Flywheel
   Lorna registers for PhilSys through a mobile barangay drive. Built on MOSIP, this national ID system allows her to be reliably identified across government services — no more repeating documents or swearing affidavits.
2. Fixing Broken Civil Records
   Using OpenCRVS, a PSA agent helps her reissue a lost marriage certificate and register her child’s birth. These records establish legal identity — a prerequisite for most forms of support.
3. Smarter Social Protection
   With OpenSPP and the ID PASS DataCollect App, a field worker visits Lorna’s home and verifies her eligibility for the 4Ps program. Her profile is updated and she’s re-enrolled — without stepping into an office.
4. Fast, Inclusive Cash Payments
   Through OpenG2P and Mojaloop, Lorna links her benefits to an e-wallet. Her grant is disbursed quickly and she withdraws it from a sari-sari store in her barangay — securely.

What once felt like a maze of disconnected systems becomes a seamless experience. The government shows up — not as red tape, but as support.

Note: This fictional use-case was created to illustrate how systems like PhilSys, OpenCRVS, OpenSPP, OpenG2P, and Mojaloop could work together. It’s meant to spark imagination and dialogue around what’s possible when systems interoperate.

Building With and For the People: Why DPI and DPGs Matter

The TRL DPI Exhibit came together through open collaboration with global DPG partners including MOSIP, OpenSPP, OpenCRVS, OpenG2P, Mojaloop Foundation, OpenFn, and DIGIT by eGov Foundation — plus contributions from HelloMoney by AUB and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Each step in the use-case — from trusted identity (MOSIP), to fixing civil records (OpenCRVS), to smarter social protection (OpenSPP), and inclusive cash payments (OpenG2P, Mojaloop) — was based on real tools used in the Philippines or abroad.

MOSIP, for example, is already powering PhilSys, the Philippine national ID system. The other components reflect promising efforts elsewhere, showing how these building blocks can work together to support inclusive, interoperable, and public-interest-driven services.

What we built was more than a booth. It became a shared space where ideas, prototypes, and systems converged — a glimpse into how GovTech could actually work for people.

The Mindset Behind TRL’s Mission

At TRL, we see ourselves as a systems lab that helps localize and connect open digital infrastructure with real-world use.

TRL remains committed to being a catalyst for inclusive systems that reflect local realities and serve the public good.

From Listening to Action

1. Real change begins by listening. Not to systems, but to people navigating broken ones. Before proposing solutions, we need to understand the problem from the ground.
2. Everything starts with a dream, and then we take action. Even small, imperfect builds can spark meaningful change when grounded in lived realities.
3. Transformation first, then digital. Tools alone aren’t enough. We have to rethink how we design for governance, equity, and trust before the tech can matter. Change doesn’t begin with code — it begins with intent, context, and care.

The future we want — inclusive, seamless, people-centered public services — won’t happen on its own. We have to build it together.

If you’re working on GovTech, policy, open source, or service delivery — let’s talk. Let’s collaborate. Let’s make the invisible infrastructure visible.

👉 Learn more at: https://trl.ph

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The DPI exhibit was a team effort co-led by Micaela Reyes, project lead, with Juliana Krey Francisco and Jericho Del Rosario (design), Novelle Estrella (assistant project manager), and Rodney Lei Estrada, who helped run the TRL booth. Together, the team brought the exhibit to life in just two weeks — with speed, care, and creativity.

Special thanks to Carolyn Florey and the ADB team for their support in coordinating exhibit logistics and helping bring the DPI showcase to life.

by Micaela Reyes and Dean Roberto Martin Galang

Thinking of studying at Ateneo — and wondering how technology can shape real-world change?

Get a first look at how innovation, identity, and inclusion come together at the TRL Experience Center.

The TRL Experience Center is meant to showcase real-world Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) use cases and inspire innovators, startup founders, and government partners through hands-on, touch-and-feel demos. DPIs refers to foundational digital systems that enable essential public and private services to function — like how Instapay allows for seamless digital payments — in a secure, scalable, and inclusive way. Think of it as the digital equivalent of roads, power, or water infrastructure — but for the digital economy and governance.

On April 12, the Technical Resource Lab (TRL) at Ateneo’s John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) is opening its Experience Center, a new space that brings Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to life.

This is your chance to explore how tech, governance, and social impact come together in ways that matter.

What to Expect

The soft launch gives you a first look at how DPI works in the Philippines — through short, engaging demos that show real-world impact. Whether you’re into software, public service, or just want to see innovation in action, you’ll find something that sparks your interest.

What You’ll See and Try

• A guided demo of real DPI use cases — from digital IDs to open-source platforms for social protection and digital finance.
• A dry-run of the vibe coding workshop — get a sneak peek of how we’ll teach real-world tech skills through practical, beginner-friendly sessions.
• Chats with the TRL team and partners building the systems behind the scenes.

Here’s What’s on Display

Your National ID, Working for You

See how the PhilSys National ID is powering faster, safer access to essential services — from identity verification and digital wallets to seamless account opening. With the national ID, your identification is no longer based on your physical ID, but on your biometric readings, such as your face and fingerprints! Digital ID systems are revolutionizing digital services in India, Brazil and Singapore — it will soon be transforming the way Filipinos interact with the digital world.

• Digital National ID by DICT — your PhilSys ID, now accessible through the eGov PH Super App. It’s a secure, digital-first way to prove your identity for government services, transactions, and more — right from your phone.
• National ID eVerify by PSA and DICT — a secure online system that lets organizations instantly verify a person’s identity using their PhilSys (National ID). It helps prevent fraud and makes identity checks faster and more reliable for services like banking, government aid, and more.
• HelloMoney by AUB – Open a bank account as easy as saying hello with just your face as your ID.
• Ultrapass ID – enables privacy-preserving, verified data sharing between individuals, companies, and governments — securely, selectively, and with full control.

Open-Source Tools for Public Good

Explore how open-source platforms like MOSIP, OpenSPP, Mifos and Mojaloop are helping governments and communities deliver financial and social services that are inclusive, transparent, and built to scale.

• MOSIP — open-source identity platform that helps governments build scalable, secure, and inclusive national ID systems.
• OpenSPP — open-source digital platform designed to help governments and partners manage and deliver social protection programs more efficiently, transparently, and at scale.
• Mifos — open-source digital finance infrastructure powering inclusive financial ecosystems.
• Mojaloop — open-source payments platform enabling real-time, inclusive digital transactions across financial institutions.

Cool Tech

Get hands-on with biometric devices like Famoco and try out a 3D printer — because exploring future-ready tools should be both practical and fun.

• Famoco devices — all-in-one gear with fingerprint sensor, camera (for facial recognition and QR), and NFC antenna
• 3D Printer — not DPI-related, just fun to try!

Why You Should Care

As a future Atenean — especially if you’re eyeing business, tech, or public service — this is your chance to see how innovation moves from idea to implementation. The Experience Center connects what you learn in class to real systems already in use, from digital ID to inclusive finance. It’s a live, hands-on space that shows how tech can create impact — and how you can be part of that story.

What’s Coming After Launch

Starting May, the Experience Center will host public demos and training sessions — hands-on, interactive, and open to students, agencies, and partners. More use cases and tech partners are coming soon, with new tools and real-world examples to explore as the ecosystem expands.

Drop by the Ateneo BUILD Room This Saturday

Visit us at the Ateneo BUILD Room in JGSOM this Saturday, April 12 from 9am to 5pm to explore the demos, ask questions, and try out the tech — including a 3D printer. No need to be a tech expert — just bring your curiosity.