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Actors Edu Manzano and John Arcilla, along with political commentator and crypto investor Chris Tan, in an interview with BitPinas, have voiced support for Senate Bill (SB) 1330, or the Blockchain the Budget Bill, filed by Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV.
Pro-Blockchain the Budget Bill
In a Facebook post, Manzano expressed his support for SB 1330, highlighting that the measure could make the Philippines the first country in the world to adopt blockchain technology for government transparency. He added that the system has the potential to make corruption “obsolete.”
Manzano explained that since blockchain functions as a digital ledger where government allocations and payments are permanently recorded and cannot be altered, citizens, journalists, and auditors would be allowed to trace public funds step by step. This eliminates practices such as tampering, double books, or missing entries.
He also highlighted the use of smart contracts, which would ensure that payments to contractors are released only when project milestones are met, preventing ghost projects and overbilling.
“Every payment, down to the contractor buying cement, is recorded. Citizens, journalists, or auditors can trace the flow of money step by step, like tracking a package delivery. No “erasures” or “palusot”. In present record-keeping, entries can be tampered with. Numbers changed, documents lost, “double books” created. But on blockchain, once an expense is logged, it’s permanent.”
Edu Manzano, Actor
Furthermore, Manzano argued that placing the national budget on blockchain would shift public trust away from political promises and toward technology-driven accountability. He acknowledged that resistance may arise from those who benefit from corruption or from a lack of understanding of the technology, but urged the public to support the bill.
“If the budget is on blockchain, instead of trusting politicians’ promises or delayed government reports, Filipinos will instead trust the technology. The system itself enforces accountability, because the records can’t be covered up or delayed. This may just be the silver bullet we need to eliminate corruption once and for all. Maraming tututol dito not only because mawawalan na ng kita ang mga korap, but many still don’t understand the technology. Pero ang sabi nga, kung gusto may paraan. Kung ayaw may dahilan. Let’s all support Senator Bam’s Blockchain the Budget Bill.”
Edu Manzano, Actor
In another Facebook post, Arcilla, known for his role as General Antonio Luna in the historical drama film Heneral Luna, echoed Manzano’s view, emphasizing blockchain’s ability to prevent tampering, and added that public access to immutable budget records would strengthen accountability.
“Sa blockchain kapag naupload na ang budget para sa isang proyekto at sino ang mag-rereceive ng budget at assign sa project pwedeng MA-TRACE ng public at hindi na pwede baguhin pa. Walang LUSOT ang MANDADAYA. Malinaw ang transparency. Ang opisyal na hindi papayag dito at AYAW nito ay gustong MANGUPIT.”
John Arcilla, Actor
On the other hand, Tan welcomed Aquino’s push, though he cautioned that some lawmakers may resist the measure.
“The problem is, how many senators will understand this technology? Some might even fear it because it will make it harder for the corrupt to steal.”
Chris Tan, Political Commentator and Crypto Investor
In response to an interview request of BitPinas, Tan said the proposal has the potential to curb corruption in government but warned that most members of Congress may not be knowledgeable enough to support such an initiative.
“Resistance is due to ignorance and lack of clear understanding of what the blockchain is and what its true potential is. And some politicians may be afraid of the blockchain because it will be more difficult to commit fraud.”
Chris Tan, Political Commentator and Crypto Investor
He then suggested mounting a nationwide awareness campaign to raise public demand for blockchain-based governance. He also proposed that government transactions and payments be carried out using cryptocurrency and blockchain to make fraudulent activities “extremely difficult.”
“This will increase the clamor and need for blockchain to be implemented in the government. And if Sen. Bam truly wants to curb corruption, then the actual transactions and payments should be done using cryptocurrency and the blockchain. This will make it extremely difficult to commit fraud.”
Chris Tan, Political Commentator and Crypto Investor
Senate Bill 1330: Blockchain the Budget Bill
To promote transparency and curb corruption, the senator announced at the Manila Tech Summit on August 27, 2025, that he will file a bill mandating the use of blockchain to track the national budget and government transactions.
On September 2, 2025, Senate Bill 1330, also known as the Blockchain the Budget Bill, was officially filed. It seeks to place the entire government budget on a blockchain platform, allowing citizens to monitor every peso spent in real time.
If enacted, the Philippines could become the first country to adopt such a system nationwide.
In addition, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda also backed Aquino’s blockchain bill, highlighting its potential to boost transparency in government transactions.
However, in a Congress hearing, Aguda told lawmakers that rolling out blockchain in government processes could cost up to ₱1 billion, though a final proposal with accurate figures is still being prepared. But he assured that the investment would be worthwhile if it delivered on its promise of greater transparency and accountability.
Read more about the blockchain bills filed in the House of Representatives on BitPinas:
This article is published on BitPinas: Public Figures Express Support for Bam Aquino’s Blockchain the Budget Bill
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