Senate Backs Aquino’s CADENA Act for Digital Budget Portal

Published: 2025-11-13 10:14:47 |

Senate Bill No. 1506, the revised CADENA Act sponsored by Senator Bam Aquino, secured unanimous support in the Philippine Senate to establish a digital budget portal. The CADENA Act mandates full disclosure of all government transactions via blockchain transparency, enhancing accountability and public participation. Co-sponsors include Senate President Tito Sotto, Senators Robinhood Padilla and Joel Villanueva, alongside Francis Pangilinan, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada and Erwin Tulfo. The bill requires budget documents, project details and financing data to be published on an open-source, interoperable platform designed to be traceable and tamper-resistant. Government agencies must upload records within seven days, facing administrative or criminal penalties for non-compliance or falsified data. The CADENA Act, developed in consultation with nearly 250 individuals, tech groups, startups and agencies such as DBM, DICT, DOF, DOJ, DOST, SEC and BSP, builds on past measures like the Freedom of Information Bill. By integrating blockchain transparency, the digital budget portal aims to empower citizens, fight corruption and foster trust in public institutions.

Bullish

By endorsing the CADENA Act, the Philippine government signals strong support for blockchain integration into public finance, improving transparency and accountability via a digital budget portal. This regulatory clarity and government-backed blockchain adoption are likely to boost confidence among crypto traders and investors, as they may anticipate increased demand for blockchain infrastructure solutions. Historically, government initiatives that leverage blockchain have sparked positive market sentiment; for instance, early blockchain pilots in supply chain and finance sectors have driven token appreciation. In the short term, this news could generate bullish sentiment around governance-focused blockchain projects. In the long term, institutional adoption may foster sustained growth in the blockchain ecosystem, making the market environment more favorable for related cryptocurrencies.