Senate Greenlights Digital Budget Transparency Bill

The Senate has approved a major transparency measure that aims to let the public clearly see how government funds are being spent. The bill, known as the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, is one of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s priority measures and passed its final reading with a unanimous vote.

Under the proposal, all government agencies will be required to upload detailed budget information to a single digital platform. This includes contracts, project costs, procurement records, and bills of materials. The system will use blockchain technology, making records harder to alter and easier to track and verify.

Lawmakers said the platform is designed to give citizens direct access to spending data while promoting accountability. Agencies or officials who fail to disclose information, or submit false data, could face both administrative and criminal charges.

The bill’s approval came shortly after it was endorsed by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council, signaling strong backing from both the executive and legislative branches. Its timing also reflects growing public pressure for transparency, especially amid investigations into alleged corruption tied to major infrastructure projects.

Senator Bam Aquino, the bill’s principal author, noted that increased public attention has pushed reforms like this forward. He pointed out that calls for system level changes have grown louder, creating momentum for laws that promote open governance.

Aquino also urged the House of Representatives to quickly act on the counterpart version of the bill, saying that faster passage would help strengthen efforts to curb corruption and protect taxpayers’ money.

In the same session, the Senate also approved amendments to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Act. The changes aim to clarify the commission’s composition by ensuring broader sectoral representation, including women, youth, Ulama, Balik Islam groups, and more balanced tribal representation.