By Ann Cuisia
When I first wrote “Why Blockchain the Budget Misses the Point,” my position was clear: technology alone does not create transparency. Laws must be principle-based and outcome-driven ensuring traceability, accountability, and citizen access regardless of which system or vendor runs it.
The newly refined CADENA Act (Senate Bill No. 1330) finally gets that point. It recognizes that what matters most is not using blockchain, but embedding transparency and auditability into government spending itself. This is a welcome shift from tech prescription to governance reform.
The CADENA Act no longer insists on a single technology. Instead, it establishes clear rules for how government transactions must be recorded and disclosed in verifiable, tamper-evident form. That distinction future-proofs the law. It can evolve with technology without losing its purpose which is to make every peso traceable from appropriation to disbursement.
What stands out most is Senator Bam Aquino’s openness to feedback. Instead of defending an early draft, he welcomed input from technologists, civic organizations, and the private sector. The result is a bill that aligns with both innovation and accountability, showing that public consultation, when genuine, produces better legislation.
I spoke up not as a proponent of technology, but as a taxpayer who believes that laws must be timeless and free from commercial bias. Seeing these principles reflected in the latest version of CADENA proves that constructive dialogue between citizens and government still works.
There is still work to be done. Implementation will test whether transparency becomes a lived practice or remains an aspiration. Agencies must publish, not just collect, data. Standards, interoperability, and independent oversight will determine success.
But for now, this is progress worth recognizing. The CADENA Act has evolved from a technology experiment into a governance milestone one that finally gets the point: transparency is not about the tool, it’s about outcomes.