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The bill was presented during the Plenary Session no. 29 on November 12, 2025 at the Senate Session Hall, Pasay City.
The revised Citizens’ Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, formerly known as the Blockchain Bill, gained strong backing from lawmakers as Senator Bam Aquino formally endorsed the measure at the Senate.
Senators Backed Cadena Bill
Authored and sponsored by Senator Bam Aquino, the measure, now filed as Senate Bill No. 1506 under Committee Report No. 10, seeks to mandate the full disclosure of government transactions through the establishment of a Digital Budget Portal aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and public participation in the budget process.
After Sen. Aquino’s speech, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III was among the first to express his support.
“Senator Aquino, and I will be honored to be a co-author or a co-sponsor of the measure.”
Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senate President, 20th Congress
In addition, several lawmakers also immediately expressed support for the bill, with Senators Robinhood Padilla and Joel Villanueva rising to co-sponsor the measure, alongside Senators Francis Pangilinan, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, and Erwin Tulfo, who were all listed as co-sponsors in the session record.
In his co-sponsorship speech, Padilla highlighted the role of emerging technologies in promoting transparency and fighting corruption in government.
“Sa pamamagitan po ng CADENA, makikita at masusundan ng bawat Pilipino ang bawat galaw ng pondo ng gobyerno, nakalagay ang petsa at may pirma, at hindi basta-basta mababago o mapagsisinungalingan. Alam nating lahat na isa sa pinakamalaking suliranin ng ating bansa ay ang kultura ng pagiging reaksyunaryo—revolutionary… Panahon na upang maging proactive ang gobyerno, at isang paraan ay ang digital transformation. Hindi na sapat ang papel at ang lumang sistema.”
Robinhood Padilla, Senator, 20th Congress
Padilla shared that his experience with blockchain technology dates back to 2015, when he first encountered its use in counterterrorism initiatives. He said this inspired his belief in the technology’s potential to strengthen public accountability.
“Dapat na nating yakapin ang teknolohiya upang buwagin ang tinatawag ng ilan na “propesyonalismo sa korapsyon.” Ang tanging paraan para ito ay matapos ay ang paggamit ng makabagong sistemang tapat, malinaw, at maaaring suriin ng mamamayan. Tunay ngang naaangkop ang pangalan ng batas na ito.”
Robinhood Padilla, Senator, 20th Congress
Senator Joel Villanueva, also a co-sponsor, described the measure as a significant move to strengthen transparency, accountability, and citizen involvement in managing public resources.
“For too long the processes surrounding our national budget have been shrouded in complexity making it difficult for ordinary citizens to understand how public funds are allocated, how public funds are spent and managed. The Cadena Act addresses this by establishing a digital budget portal that will make government transactions accessible, traceable, and tamper resistant. It will empower our citizens to scrutinize every peso spent fostering trust in public institutions. and deteriorating corruption. This bill is not just about technology, Mr. President. It’s about transforming governance.”
Joel Villanueva, Senator, 20th Congress
Sen. Villanueva expressed confidence that the bill would pass quickly, saying it paves the way for a government that is more transparent, accountable, and inclusive.
With Senate Bill No. 1506 now calendared for special orders, lawmakers are optimistic that the CADENA Act will mark a major leap toward a more transparent and accountable government.
Worth reading: Explainer: How a Bill Becomes Law in the Philippines
In a short interview with BitPinas, Sen. Aquino expressed satisfaction with the strong support for the CADENA Act, but emphasized the need to carefully monitor the legislative process.
“We’re quite happy with all of the support dito po para sa ating Cadena Act pero sabay-sabay po nating bantayan iyung proseso. Una hakbang pa lang po ito at nais po natin ito makita na napasa, na-implement, at nakakadena na nga iyung iyung pera ng bayan no. So, we hope we can continue getting your support, but we’re very happy that we reach this milestone.”
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, Senator, 20th Congress
During his sponsorship speech, Sen. Aquino credited the participation of nearly 250 individuals, tech groups, and startups for helping shape the bill, which seeks to institutionalize transparency in public spending through blockchain technology.
The senator highlighted the support of key government agencies, including the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), noting that the bill builds on previous transparency efforts such as the Freedom of Information Bill and the Full Disclosure Bill.
“Pagkatapos po ng mga hearing, technical working group, round table discussion at konsultasyon sa mga eksperto mula sa gobyerno, pribadong grupo at NGO, naging Cadena act na po ang Blockchain The Budget Bill. We rise today to sponsor this bill at a time when public trust is at an all-time low and allegations of corruption are at an all-time high.”
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, Senator, 20th Congress
After the session for the bill, Sen. Aquino welcomed web3 and blockchain community members attending the Senate session.
Cadena Bill as Presented to the Senate
“Importante po ang mga hakbang na ito dahil alam po natin na ang transparency ang pinakamalakas sa sandata laban sa korapsyon. Sabi nga po sunlight is the best disinfectant. Kung lahat ng impormasyon ay nakalabas at madaling ma-access ng taong bayan, matitigil po ang korapsyon sa ating bansa.”
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, Senator, 20th Congress
CADENA framework will require all budget-related documents, such as the National Expenditure Program, Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing, and project details including bill of materials and contractor information, to be uploaded to the national transparency platform.
He added that the system will be “automated and verifiable by design,” preventing the deletion or alteration of public records. Agencies that fail to publish required documents within seven days will face administrative penalties, while those that upload false or misleading data may be charged criminally.
The bill defines five core technological standards for the platform: structured digital format, open source, traceable, tamper-resistant, and interoperable. Aquino said the interoperable design would allow even AI tools to analyze public data and assist citizens in monitoring government projects.
Read related articles on the Journey of SBN 1506:
- First public hearing
- Closed-door Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting
- Second public hearing
This article is published on BitPinas: Bam Aquino’s CADENA Bill Receives Full Support of Senators
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