The Philippines positions itself as among the world’s most stressful driving environments, considering factors like road quality, congestion, and safety concerns, according to a study by Confused.com. Despite ranking 13th out of 48 countries analyzed and second in Southeast Asia, the Philippines faces challenges such as a lack of speed cameras and subpar infrastructure, contributing to high accident rates and dense road traffic.

Metro Manila also clinched the title of having the worst traffic congestion globally in a 2023 study conducted by Dutch multinational transport data provider TomTom Traffic. With driving conditions in the Philippines proving to be stressful and challenging, effective fleet management becomes increasingly crucial.

In this interview with CoinGeek Backstage, Block Dojo Philippines entrepreneurs Saida and Jiego Tanchanco talked to me about Nyoom, a fleet management platform that integrates innovative solutions such as blockchain technology.

Jiego, who has been in the GPS business for 14 years, shared insights into the development of Nyoom, carved from a family legacy, stating, “We were one of the pioneers that brought in GPS technology here in the Philippines.”

Aiming to utilize blockchain technology, Nyoom aims to revolutionize fleet management by making it more engaging and rewarding for drivers and businesses alike.

“Our mission in Nyoom is to alleviate the traffic problems here in the Philippines by promoting safe driving behaviors, as well as incentivizing high-performing drivers,” Jiego explained.

Identifying a gap in the market, Jiego discussed the importance of engaging and incentivizing drivers beyond compliance.

“When it comes to fleet management… it’s entirely a compliance thing for some drivers and some business operators as well. So we want to make sure that we provide the service that will also engage and incentivize the drivers,” he said.

Saida elaborated on Nyoom’s point system and incentives, saying, “There’s like a leaderboard that they can refer to, and they already know, like, how much incentives they are going to get or what kind of incentives they are going to get.”

The incentives may come in the form of cash or fuel vouchers.

As the founders pointed out, Nyoom’s broader goal is to improve infrastructure and traffic conditions while fostering responsible driving behaviors.

“It’s really more of shifting the attitude of people so that the behavior improves and the perception of the people in the mobility community also improves,” they said.

Recognizing the challenge of onboarding users unfamiliar with blockchain technology, Jiego was keen to point out the importance of having a user-friendly interface.

“We want to make sure that although it’s blockchain-enabled and we’re incorporating nascent tech into the system, we want to make sure that it is user-friendly,” he explained.

Attending the Block Dojo Philippines bootcamp, the founders expressed excitement about enhancing their business with mentorship and support from the 12-week incubator program.

“We’re really maximizing the fact that we can integrate our own advocacies with a tech-based incubator program….and we’re pretty lucky that we have an opportunity like this.”

Nyoom’s innovative approach, combined with its commitment to leveraging blockchain for societal impact, signals a promising venture poised to revolutionize transportation in the Philippines.