The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has launched a free 20-day blockchain and cryptocurrency certification course. The program prepares provincial jobseekers and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for remote freelancing jobs.
The course is part of the DICT’s SPARK program, or Strengthening the Philippine Workforce through Adaptive and Responsive Digital Knowledge. It is managed by the DICT ICT Literacy and Competency Development Bureau. It targets fresh graduates, out-of-school youth, and returning overseas workers who want digital work outside Metro Manila.
A total of 53 participants completed the training. The course combines 10 days of online lectures with 10 days of practical work and a capstone project.
In Kalinga, 28 participants graduated. The DICT Cordillera Administrative Region field office ran the training with trainer Ferdie James Nervida. During the practical phase, 17 medalists earned a combined PHP 76,340.49 from remote freelance work. One capstone project built a blockchain-based intellectual property registry and royalty system for indigenous handicrafts.
In Capiz, the DICT Provincial Field Office held a graduation ceremony on Oct. 19 for 25 scholars, with a 100 percent completion rate. The training was done with Capiz State University Pontevedra. Five graduates received medals for capstone projects on decentralized finance and Web3 freelance services.
The certifications are part of a wider DICT effort to expand regional digital training beyond standard business process outsourcing skills and toward emerging digital assets and distributed systems.