Senate Urged to Pass CADENA Act for Transparent, Digital-First Government Spending

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Lawmakers and government officials are being urged to support and pass into law Senate Bill No. 1330, or the Citizens’ Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, with advocates emphasizing the need for a transparent, citizen-centered framework for public spending.

CADENA Act Refinements

Ann Cuisia

In a Facebook post, fintech company TraXion Tech CEO Ann Cuisia said that lawmakers who do not support the CADENA Bill are prioritizing “corruption over reform” and “greed over integrity.”

She said the initiative reflects a shared commitment to making government spending more transparent, accountable, and focused on public interest.

“Our battle is no longer on further refinement of the bill, it is in the passing of that bill. Our only chance to save our fellow countrymen. We need justice. Tech can help, but most importantly the mandating of disclosure and criminalizing those who won’t.”

Ann Cuisia, Chief Executive Officer, TraXion Tech

In another post, Cuisia stated she and other stakeholders worked with civic organizations, academic partners, coalition groups, content creators, and technology professionals to refine the CADENA Act. She said the updates aim to keep the measure principle-based, inclusive, and adaptable for the future.

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Key revisions include removing references to “ledger” to clarify transparency mechanisms, extending coverage to local government units, emphasizing tamper-resistant systems, replacing “upload” with “publishing” to manage costs, using a digital platform as the main framework, focusing on outcome-driven metrics, and implementing phased, capacity-based rollouts for LGUs.

Cuisia also noted that while blockchain can provide immutability within its design, no system is completely immune to compromise. She said end-to-end traceability and strong governance are critical to ensuring accountability in public spending.

Vince Vicente

In the comments, Vince Vicente, Director of Business and Development at the International Council of Registered Blockchain Professionals, said the updates make the bill more practical and transparent by focusing on real-world implementation instead of technical buzzwords. 

“I’m proud to be part of this working group — this is how citizens and institutions actually co-create governance parang DAO.”

Vince Vicente, Director of Business and Development, International Council of Registered Blockchain Professionals

Read more about Ann Cuisia’s Op-Eds on the bill:

Christopher Star

In the comment section of Cuisia’s post, industry experts weighed in on the discussion around tamper-proof systems. 

Christopher Star noted that real integrity comes from accountability, not claims of absolute security, calling “tamper-proof” a misleading concept. 

“Real integrity isn’t about claiming perfection — it’s about building systems that prove accountability when corruption is attempted. That’s why the global standard is tamper-evident with strong governance, not tamper-proof by fantasy.”

Christopher Star, Volunteer, BetterGov.ph

Cuisia agreed that no system is completely secure, noting that technology advances faster than legislation. She emphasized that the priority should be on tamper-resistant and tamper-evident systems, rather than labeling them as “tamper-proof.”

Ida Tiongson

Ida Tiongson, President and CEO of Opal Portfolio Investments, however, maintained that tamper-proof technology should be the minimum standard if proven effective.

“We both pushed for a future-proof framework, and I’m glad our recommendation was reflected. But let us be clear: we can aim for ‘better than best’ in the future, never lower. Anything less opens the door to tampering—and that’s a risk we can’t afford.”

Ida Tiongson, President and CEO, Opal Portfolio Investments

Rodolfo Alberto Villarica

In addition, Dr. Rodolfo Alberto Villarica, Chief Blockchain Officer at TraXion Tech, described the term as a myth, explaining that even highly decentralized networks like Ethereum can be altered under certain circumstances, while permissioned chains depend on administrator trust and consensus.

The discussion about Tamper Proof and Tamper evident also happened during the second public hearing about the bill. Bitskwela’s Jiro Reyes argued in favor of changing the “tamper evident” language into “tamper proof”. Senator Aquino was keen to retain both language but mentioned they will further study.

Cadena Bill Update and Status

Formerly called the “Blockchain the Budget Bill,” it aims to make every peso of the national budget traceable through a transparent digital system. 

Scheduled for Senate sponsorship on November 12, 2025, the first phase of the implementation is said to start in 2026 if enacted into law. This includes requiring all government procurement and spending documents to be published online within nine months, laying the groundwork for a long-term, blockchain-ready transparency system.

This article is published on BitPinas: Senate Urged to Pass CADENA Act for Transparent, Digital-First Government Spending

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