Various proposals in the House of Representatives try to place the Filipino national budget on the blockchain, a relocation that supporters say that government spending will open for real -time public control.
Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez of Negros Occidental’s 3rd district has submitted House Bill 4380, the “Blockchain the Budget Act”, which would register every peso of the National Budget on a blockchain whides. The measure reflects Senate Bill 1330 previously submitted by Senator Paolo Benigno “BAM” Aquino IV.
“I have filed house BILL 4380, or the ‘blockchain the budget act’, to place the entire Philippine National Budget on a blockchain ledger, a secure digital record where every transaction is permanent and tamper-proof. The goal is to make any time, so-dully, theater, thousays, theater, thousays, thousays, thousays, dully,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,. Watchdogs, and Lawmakers Can Independently Verify Where Funds Go, Down to the Project, Agency, and Centavo, ”Benitez said in a Facebook message.
“If it is assumed, this measure would make the Philippines a pioneer in open-budget governance, which shows that modern technology can combat corruption, strengthen the accountability and give people clear access to how public money is spent,” he added.
Benitez emphasized that his proposal is a supplement to the Senate version of Aquino and tunes both rooms to what he described as ‘open-budget governance’.
Source: Javi Benitez/Facebook
Poe supports transparency by blockchain
Rep. Brian Poe Llamanzares, who represents the FPJ Panday Bayanihan Partylist and served as an assistant -Meerry Leader, submitted his own version on 9 September. House Bill 4489, Formally entitled “A law that has the establishment and implementation of a national budget blocking system for a blockchain platform for a Blowchain -Tracking for a Blowchain -Tracking for a Blockchain assignment for a blockchain assignment in order for a block -grant command -Costing for a blockchain.
Poe, also a trustee of the blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP), said that the system would make allocations and expenses unchangeable and publicly accessible. His proposal requires the establishment of a National Budget Blockchain system under the supervision of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (Dict), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission on Audit (COA).
According to POE’s proposed bill, all budget transactions would be introduced as digital public assets on the blockchain, with a public portal accessible to citizens, watchdog groups and supervisory bodies.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Partylist Rep. Brian Poe Llamanzares. (Source: Brian Poe Llamanzares/Facebook)
Barba is insisting on a broader government adoption
Rep. Angelo Barba from Ilocos Norte previously submitted Bill 4075 house. His proposal goes beyond the National Budget and is intended to institutionalize the use of blockchain in various government areas.
The measure calls for a phased rollout of blockchain in purchasing, record values, financial transactions, licenses, permits and citizen registers. According to the plan, the Dict and other agencies would draw up implementation rules.
Barba argued that the use of blockchain technology would bring the Philippines in accordance with governments worldwide experimenting with comparable systems. He noted that blockchain’s sabotage-proof and verifiable nature could reduce opportunities for corruption, prevent delays and improve efficiency in service supply.
Senate counterpart and wider context
The push in the house builds on the Senate Bill 1330 from Aquino, who wants to create a National Budgetblockchain system. Aquino said earlier that the bill was designed to “modernize budget transparency and accountability” and to make budget documents easier to open and understand.
Aquino pointed out that although the national budget is one of the most important governance instruments, it has often remained technical, inaccessible and difficult to revise. Blockchain, according to him, could ensure that “no more hidden projects are unknown to local authorities” escapes supervision, while allowing price comparisons in different contracts.
The Senate version also provides for real -time public portals with which everyone, from citizens to groups of civil society, could follow government spending.
Reforming momentum in the congress
With Benitez, Poe and Barba who submit individual but related proposals, the house now has at least three measures that argue the use of blockchain in governance. All remain pending committees, but reflect a growing momentum in the Filipino congress to integrate emerging technologies in state processes.
Proponents believe that by registering the national budget on a sabotage -resistant digital ledger, corruption risks can be reduced, the accountability can be strengthened and citizens are authorized to check projects and expenditure.
Benitez emphasized in his function that the potential of blockchain is in his ability to make public resources traceable “to the project, agency and centavo.” Poe was his bill as part of broader transparency and participation reforms, while Barba presented his measure as a step in the direction of coordinating the Philippines with worldwide practices.
For now, the accounts committee will undergo. If approved, they will switch to plenary debates before a possible bicameral reconciliation with the proposal from Aquinos Senate.
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