Following the announcement of the nationwide rollout of the iris-scanning activity of World in the Philippines, DvCode CEO Eliezer Rabadon and TLYR Collective Co-Founder Jopet Arias shared their thoughts on the project and what it means for regulators.
On a BitPinas Webcast on April 15, 2025, they also discussed topics such as the crypto offering on Union Bank, the Mantra $OM plunge, and the SEC’s updated regulations for crypto service providers.
Call to Action
During the discussion, Arias mentioned that while the project is legitimate, the way the initiative is collecting data and targeting individuals who are not well-versed in web3 technology is questionable.
“Iyong akin kasi ay iyong humanity, eh. Kaunti na lang iyong panghahawakan mo bilang tao—iyong personal data mo, iyong private data mo, iyong iris scan mo. Pati ba naman iyon, kukunin pa? Lalo na sa mga vulnerable nating mga kababayan. Tama iyong isang commenter na parang tinatarget nila iyong mga vulnerable na hindi ganoon kalaki iyong knowledge dito sa project na ito. We’re calling the government agencies, ano iyong ginagawa nila ngayon to safeguard?”
Jopet Arias, Co-Founder, TLYR Collective
[Translation: “For me, it’s really about humanity. There’s so little left that you can hold on to as a person—your personal data, your private information, your iris scan. And now even that, they want to take? Especially from our vulnerable fellow citizens. One commenter was right—it’s like they’re targeting the vulnerable, those who don’t have much knowledge about this project. We’re calling on government agencies—what are they doing right now to safeguard them?”]
Arias further stressed the importance of the government safeguarding Filipinos’ data, referencing the past data breach involving the Commission on Elections.
He added that those joining the project without fully understanding it should not be blamed, as the airdrop—though it may seem like loose change to others—could mean enough money for a sack of rice and several days’ worth of food for them.
“Dito natin makikita [kung] gaano kaliit pinapahalagahan ng mga nagugutom nating kababayan iyong privacy nila—na, ‘Okay lang, ibigay na natin sa iba, may pera namang kapalit, eh. Mabubusog na tayo ng ilang linggo o ilang buwan.’ Pero sana magtulong-tulong. We need government support dito. Ano iyong mga ways na hindi ito magagamit sa maling paraan?”
Jopet Arias, Co-Founder, TLYR Collective
[Translation: “This shows just how little value our hungry fellow Filipinos place on their privacy—thinking, ‘It’s okay to give it away as long as there’s money in return. At least we’ll have food for a few weeks or even months.’ But I really hope we can all come together on this. We need the government’s support. What are the ways to ensure this won’t be misused?”]
In an interview, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission, through Atty. Paolo Montano Ong, assistant director of the SEC PhiliFintech Innovation Office, clarified that Worldcoin is not registered in the country. Although Worldcoin countered that since it is a technology provider, then registration is not necessary.
In addition, the National Privacy Commission also clarified that it does not approve activities related to personal data processing but ensures compliance with data protection standards.
Election Timing
Rabadon also acknowledged the legitimacy of the project but expressed skepticism about the timing of the rollout during the election season.
“Legit naman iyong project, but iyon nga, unfortunately, talagang ano, [panahon] ngayon ng kampanya, and it’s a super init na season sa atin—whether we like it or not. At iyon nga, ang pinaka-nangyayari ay baka kasi iyong mga kababayan natin ay tinuturing itong parang ayuda… Long story short, ang point lang talaga is okay naman siya, kung hindi lang sana nangyari during election period.”
Eliezer Rabadon, Chief Executive Officer, DvCode
[Translation: “The project is legitimate, but unfortunately, it’s campaign season right now—and it’s a very heated time for us, whether we like it or not. The thing is, some of our fellow citizens might see it as a form of aid… Long story short, the main point is that it would’ve been fine if it didn’t happen during the election period.”]
Following the first BitPinas article reporting the activities of World, community reactions highlighted the ethical and socioeconomic issues raised by the initiative.
Moreover, the coverage of local magazine show “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” (KMJS) on the activities of World in Plaridel, Bulacan focused on the participants, most of whom joined primarily for the airdrop, which was valued at ₱2,500 at the time.
Collab with the Web3 Community
Rabadon also stated that the organizers could have involved the local web3 community to help educate participants and ensure their experience with the technology goes beyond simply receiving an airdrop.
“Ang pakiusap ko rin is you try to involve iyong web3 community mismo para talaga magkaroon ng sharing of knowledge. Maybe the organizers can tap kung sino man ang mga puwedeng ka-collab about it, lalo na kung plano nila mag-regional, para nang sa ganoon ay masulit din natin iyong nation-building plus iyong pagbibigay-aral tungkol sa crypto.”
Eliezer Rabadon, Chief Executive Officer, DvCode
[Translation: “My request is that you try to involve the Web3 community itself so that there can be real knowledge sharing. Maybe the organizers can reach out to potential collaborators, especially if they plan to expand regionally, so we can also make the most out of nation-building efforts and educating people about crypto.”]
He then noted that, given the timing of the rollout, some communities might choose to collaborate only after the elections to avoid any association with political agendas.
Worldcoin in PH
Since January, World’s iris-scanning activity has been underway, beginning in the municipality of Bulakan and gradually expanding to other cities and areas of the province.
Accordingly, World developer Tools for Humanity addressed the legitimacy of Worldcoin’s ongoing iris-scanning activities in the Bulacan province, confirming it as part of their “closed beta.”
Three months since its first roll out, Tools for Humanity expressed its plans to roll out a verification tool to the entire Philippines with a pilot test set to happen in two cities within the National Capital Region.
To participate in Worldcoin, individuals must download the World App and visit an Orb for identity verification, where their iris is scanned and converted into a unique World ID. The process involves scanning, encryption of the image into a cryptographic code, and deletion of the original scan for privacy. Users then receive a share of $WLD, World’s native token.
Worth Reading: LIST: Countries That Investigated, Banned, or Instructed Worldcoin on Its Operations
This article is published on BitPinas: Worldcoin Iris Scanning Rollout Sparks Concerns from Web3 Leaders Ahead of PH Elections
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