Senator Bam Aquino pushes for budget transparency and flood control funding

Senator Bam Aquino is advocating for the passage of the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, also known as the “Blockchain the Budget Bill.” The measure, which passed the Senate in December 2025 with a 17-0 vote, has been pending in the House of Representatives for seven months. The proposed legislation seeks to mandate government agencies to upload detailed financial and procurement records—including contracts, project costs, and bills of materials—to a digital platform that is public, traceable, and tamper-resistant.

In addition to transparency efforts, Aquino is calling for stricter scrutiny of flood control funding. He emphasized that the more than P100 billion in unprogrammed funds in the 2027 national budget should be directed toward effective infrastructure projects similar to those in Marikina and Navotas. Aquino noted that these specific cities have demonstrated successful flood management during recent heavy rainfall and typhoons. He has also questioned the previous distribution of flood control projects, suggesting that priority should be given to districts most frequently affected by flooding.