Philippines’ CADENA Blockchain Budget Transparency Act Urged

Philippine civil society and web3 groups have launched a signature campaign urging the House of Representatives to immediately pass the CADENA Blockchain Budget Transparency Act during the current legislative budget season. The push targets budget spending opacity. Organizers say current General Appropriations Bill documents bury budget insertions and line-item changes in thousands of pages, limiting real-time oversight and increasing corruption risk. They argue the CADENA Blockchain Budget Transparency Act should require a tamper-proof, open digital ledger so the public can track every peso spent, including contractor payouts and project milestones. Key governance details: agencies must report spending and contract/project progress within 7 days of occurrence. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would run the system through a dedicated CADENA Program Management Office, serving as secretariat for the National Budget Transparency and Accountability Council (NBTAC). Timeline: a 6–12 month pilot after enactment, followed by a full nationwide rollout across government agencies and state-owned corporations over three years. The Senate already passed a counterpart bill (Senate Bill 1506) in late 2025 by a 17–0 vote, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. designated CADENA as a top priority under LEDAC, but the House remains stalled. Signatories include Women in Blockchain Philippines, IMPACT PH (Innovative Movement of the Philippines Association of Cryptocurrency Traders), Block Tides, Web3 Iloilo, Data and AI Ethics PH, Move As One Coalition, and PICSPro. Supporters want Congress to lock in permanent transparency reforms before funds are allocated.