Senate Urged to Pass CADENA Act for Transparent, Digital-First Government Spending
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
In a Facebook post, technologist and 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.
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.
Read more about Ann Cuisia’s Op-Eds on the bill:
- [Op-Ed] Ann Cuisia: Why the “Secure and Open the Budget Bill” is the Better Path to Real Fiscal Transparency
- [Op-Ed] Ann Cuisia: How the CADENA Act Finally Gets the Point
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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