As severe flooding once again affects communities across the Philippines amid the typhoon season, questions about the use of public funds are also rising.
Senator Bam Aquino has renewed his call for Congress to pass the “Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability Act”, or “CADENA Act”, also known as the “Blockchain the Budget” Bill.
The proposed measure seeks to strengthen transparency in government spending by giving the public easier access to information about how taxpayers’ money is allocated and spent.
Aquino said the need for the bill has become more urgent as recent flooding has brought renewed attention to the country’s flood-control projects and the billions of pesos allocated to them.
The issue goes beyond the response to individual flooding incidents. To Aquino and the Filipinos, it is also about changing the system so that public funds can be monitored more closely, and government agencies can be held accountable.
What is the CADENA Act?
The CADENA Act is a proposed budget transparency and accountability law designed to make government spending more open to the public.
Under Senate Bill No. 1506, government agencies would be required to upload and regularly update important budget-related documents on a “Digital Budget Platform”. These documents would include government contracts, project costs, bills of materials, and procurement records.
Through placement of these records in one digital system, the public would have a clearer way to see where government funds are going and how projects are being carried out.
The proposed platform would be publicly accessible, traceable, verifiable, tamper-resistant, and maintained through an open-source system.
The measure would also impose administrative and criminal penalties on government officials who fail to disclose required documents or provide fraudulent information.
In simple terms, the bill aims to give taxpayers a better view of government spending. Instead of relying only on reports from government offices, citizens would have a way to examine important information about public projects and expenditures themselves.
Senate Approval Yet with House Delay
The CADENA Act has already passed an important stage in Congress. Senate Bill No. 1506 was approved by the Senate on third and final reading on December 15, 2025, with 17 affirmative votes, no objections, and abstentions.
Despite the Senate approval, the measure has remained pending in the House of Representatives for seven months. Aquino has called on lawmakers in the Lower House to move the bill forward, especially as public over flood-control spending continues.
Aquino said, “Seven months na itong nakabinbin. A number of colleagues in Congress are pushing it also. But for some reason, hindi ito malabas-labas ng Kamara,” referring to the bill’s continued delay in the House.
“It has been pending for seven months. A number of colleagues in Congress are pushing it also. But for some reason, it hasn’t come out of the House.”
The senator also pointed out that the measure had previously ranked third among the priority measures of the Legislative-E xecutive Development Advisory Council, or Ledac. It later dropped to 41st on the list but remained among the priority measures.
Aquino said, “I have a commitment naman from our leadership na hindi naman ibig sabihin na from 3 to 41 na wala na siya sa listahan. Nasa listahan pa rin siya. So I’m happy it’s still in the Ledac list, pero I’m hoping more people can be with me na i-push ang Kamara, ipasa na natin ito.”
“I have a commitment from our leadership which doesn’t necessarily mean that from 3 to 41 it is no longer on the list. It’s still on the list. So, I’m happy it’s still in the Ledac list, but I’m hoping more people can be with me to push the House, let’s pass this.”
A Digital Tool to Fight Corruption
The central idea behind the CADENA Act is that greater transparency can help reduce opportunities for corruption.
If budget and procurement information is made available to the public, citizens, journalists, civil society groups, and other stakeholders could more easily examine government spending.
Aquino has emphasized that transparency is particularly important when large amounts of public money are involved in infrastructure projects, including flood-control programs.
“One possible means to fight corruption is to made the use of money fully transparent. If we have the system up and it’s fully transparent, I think this is one of the best weapons against corruption,” Aquino said.
The proposed system could also help create a stronger record of government transactions.
Public access to contracts, project costs, and procurement documents could make it easier to identify questionable spending and determine how funds were used.
To Filipino taxpayers, the purpose is straightforward: public money should be visible to the public. Transparency would not automatically eliminate corruption, but it could provide an additional safeguard by making government transactions easier to monitor and verify.
From Flood-Control Concerns to Systemic Reform
The renewed push for the CADENA Act comes as destructive flooding has again affected communities in Metro Manila and several parts of Luzon. The flooding has renewed questions about whether government infrastructure projects are properly planned, funded, and implemented.
Aquino previously filed Senate Resolution No. 28 on July 29, 2025, calling for an investigation into the country’s flood-control program. He has argued that the public deserves clearer information about how billions of pesos intended for flood-control projects are being used.
“It has been more than a year since we called for an investigation into the government’s flood-control projects, but the issue remains unresolved. Until now, flooding continues to cause severe hardship to the public,” Aquino said.
For the senator, the response should include more than investigations and accountability after alleged misuse of funds. The government also needs reforms that can prevent similar problems from happening again.
“The task of the Senate and House is to reform the system. And we have a chance to actually change the system, make it stronger against corruption, make it more transparent and hopefully safeguard the people’s money,” he said.
The CADENA Act is therefore being presented as part of a longer-term effort to improve accountability. Its proposed digital platform would allow transparency to continue beyond a single investigation or controversy.
Transparency in Government and Digital Payments
While the CADENA Act focuses on transparency in government budgets and public spending, DOPAY applies the same broader principle to everyday financial activity. People deserve systems that are clear, secure, and accountable.
DOPAY promotes the same values in the digital payments space by ensuring the compliance with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) standards while helping Filipinos make safe, transparent, and efficient digital payments.
DOPAY offers transparent fees, fair services, and safe transactions, giving users clearer information and greater confidence when managing their money digitally.
With DOPAY, OFWs can send money from anywhere, be it Japan, Hong Kong, Dubai, to the Philippines quickly and affordably, while enjoying secure and transparent transactions.
Through DOPAY’s crypto wallet, you can gain crypto rewards for every trade under our Trade & Earn program. Not just that, with DOPAY’s Refer & Earn program, Filipinos can unlock new doors for earning possibilities with every successful referral.
Download the DOPAY app today!
