The Philippine Senate has unanimously approved the Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability Act on its third and final reading, reflecting strong legislative backing for greater fiscal transparency. The measure cleared the chamber with a 17–0 vote, without any objections or abstentions, underscoring broad consensus among senators. The approval took place on Monday evening, December 15, and marked a key step in advancing one of the priority legislative items identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
Formally known as Senate Bill No. 1506, the proposed law centers on the creation of a National Budget Blockchain System. This digital infrastructure is designed to document and track every phase of the national budget process, from planning and allocation to implementation and monitoring. By relying on blockchain technology, the system aims to ensure that budget records remain secure, traceable, and resistant to manipulation.
Responding to Public Demand for Reform
Senator Paolo Bam Aquino IV, who sponsored the measure, indicated that the bill was introduced in response to mounting public frustration over corruption and increasing demands for accountability. He linked the urgency of the proposal to controversies surrounding irregularities in flood control projects, which intensified public scrutiny of how government funds are spent. According to Aquino, these incidents highlighted systemic weaknesses in budget oversight and reinforced the need for a transparent, technology-driven solution.
The senator emphasized that restoring public trust requires more than traditional reporting mechanisms. He conveyed that citizens increasingly expect real-time access to information and stronger safeguards against misuse of public resources, expectations that the proposed digital system seeks to address.
Digital Budget Platform and Disclosure Requirements
At the core of the legislation is a mandate requiring all government agencies to upload and routinely update comprehensive budget-related documents on a centralized Digital Budget Platform. These materials would include contracts, project cost breakdowns, bills of materials, and procurement records. By consolidating this information in a single platform, the law intends to make government spending easier to monitor for both oversight bodies and the general public.
The bill outlines that all uploaded records must be publicly accessible and built on open-source principles. The blockchain-based design is expected to make the data verifiable and traceable, allowing users to track changes and identify responsible parties. This structure is also intended to prevent unauthorized alterations, thereby strengthening the integrity of official financial records.
Penalties and Enforcement Measures
To ensure compliance, the proposed law introduces clear consequences for violations. Government officials who fail to disclose required documents or who submit falsified information could face administrative sanctions as well as criminal liability. These enforcement provisions are meant to discourage negligence and intentional misconduct, while signaling that transparency obligations carry serious legal weight.
Supporters of the measure believe that the combination of technological safeguards and legal penalties will significantly reduce opportunities for corruption. By increasing the likelihood of detection and accountability, the law aims to shift incentives toward honest and efficient public spending.
Next Steps in the House of Representatives
Following Senate approval, Aquino called on members of the House of Representatives to accelerate consideration of their counterpart legislation. The corresponding measure, House Bill No. 6761, was filed by Negros Occidental Third District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez. Aquino expressed confidence that swift action in the lower chamber would align with the shared goal of strengthening governance and ensuring that tax revenues are used for their intended purposes.
He conveyed that prompt enactment of the law would demonstrate a unified commitment across branches of government to confront corruption and modernize public financial management. With Senate approval secured, attention now turns to the House, where passage would move the country closer to implementing a nationwide, blockchain-based budget transparency framework.
