PGMN’s first tech anchor details how a fragile blockchain concept was reinforced into a national solution

The Senate has approved on third and final reading the Citizens’ Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability Act, or the CADENA Act, following a unanimous vote.

The measure received 17 affirmative votes, with zero abstentions and zero negative votes, completing Senate approval of the bill, which was initially filed under the working title “Blockchain the Budget Act.”

As the measure cleared the Senate, a recent PGMN episode revisited the evolution of the bill, highlighting how its original framing differed from its final form. The episode featured PGMN’s first tech anchor Ann Cuisia, who discussed the policy issues surrounding the bill’s early version and her earlier opposition to it.

In the episode, Cuisia explained that the first version of the proposal framed transparency around the use of blockchain technology, creating the impression that the law would mandate a specific tool. She said this approach risked making the legislation rigid and vulnerable to obsolescence. According to her, the later version shifted away from prescribing blockchain and instead focused on defining governance outcomes such as tamper resistance, verifiable records, audit trails, and full visibility across the budget cycle.

Cuisia noted that PGMN was key in earlier stages of public discussion for featuring and airing her objections to the bill’s initial version.

The CADENA Act seeks to strengthen transparency and public oversight over government spending by requiring the publication of key fiscal and expenditure data. The measure is intended to allow citizens to track how public funds are allocated and spent across appropriations, allotments, obligations, and disbursements.

Cuisia also cited Senator Bam Aquino’s openness during consultations, saying he did not insist on retaining the bill’s earlier version and did not treat proposed revisions as political losses. According to her, Aquino welcomed discussion and allowed the measure to evolve through collaboration with experts, civic groups, and members of the academe.

Senator Bam Aquino announced the bill’s passage, stating that the legislation mandates government agencies to make financial information accessible to the public to allow greater visibility over government expenditures.

The bill underwent revisions during Senate deliberations following consultations among lawmakers and stakeholders, resulting in a final version that moved away from a technology-specific framing toward broader governance and transparency standards.

With its approval on third reading, the CADENA Act advances to the next stage of the legislative process.