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With the aim of fighting corruption in the country and promoting transparency, Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV announced during the Manila Tech Summit, held on August 27, 2025, that he will file a bill in the coming weeks seeking to place the Philippine government’s budget and financial transactions on a blockchain platform.
PH Transactions on Blockchain
Aquino explained that the proposal aims to allow citizens to monitor government expenditures directly on a blockchain, ensuring that every peso is accounted for.
He noted that if implemented, the Philippines could become the first nation to place its entire budget on-chain.
“No one is crazy enough to put their transactions on blockchain, where every single step of the way will be logged and transparent to every single citizen. But we want to start.”
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Senator, 20th Congress of the Philippines
In his own Facebook post, Aquino reiterated his push for blockchain-based budgeting, he stated that the technology could ensure that every peso of government spending is transparent and accountable.
“By using blockchain sa ating budget, sigurado na bawat piso, alam ng tao. Science and technology are powerful levers to move the country forward but we must ensure no one is left behind. Every decision we make must always keep our children’s future in mind.”
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Senator, 20th Congress of the Philippines
This is not the first time that a Philippine senator expressed filing a bill related to blockchain adoption.
In 2023, Senator Robinhood Padilla expressed willingness to sponsor a bill promoting blockchain adoption in the Philippines, saying digitalization can curb corruption and support small businesses. Speaking at Philippine Blockchain Week 2023, Padilla highlighted blockchain’s potential for transparency and recalled first learning about it in 2014.
Budget on the Blockchain
If filed and approved, Aquino’s plan could build on the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) existing blockchain platform, which already publishes select budget documents onchain through a system developed with local firm BayaniChain.
Launched in July 2024, DBM’s blockchain-based platform makes key budget documents publicly accessible and verifiable through the Polygon network.
Available via blockchain.dbm.gov.ph, the system publishes immutable versions of Special Allotment Release Orders, Notices of Cash Allocation, and Advice of Notice of Cash Allocation Issued, ensuring records cannot be altered once issued.
Developed with BayaniChain and ExakIT Services under Project Marissa, the platform uses NFTs to “mint” budget documents on-chain, while the Prismo protocol manages data visibility to balance transparency with security. Documents dating back to 2024 can be accessed by scanning QR codes or searching by department or agency, including State Universities and Colleges, Department of Finance, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Transportation, among others.
During his speech, Aquino also highlighted this move, citing BitPinas’ article about DBM’s blockchain platform.
“Thank you Sen. [Bam Aquino] for recognizing BayaniChain’s work at DBM Philippines for their blockchain system as a primary example of how we should spearhead blockchain implementation in the country.”
Gelo Wong, Co-Founder, Bayanichain
“Almost just a vision before, but now others are following suit. Our mission has always been clear: onboard Filipinos into Web3. We take a different path, building on trust, in a way every Filipino can understand, no matter their status.”
Paul Soliman, CEO, BayaniChain
Accordingly, Polygon posted on X, claiming the possibility of the bill building on top of it, as the budget department’s select transaction records are already on it. The Prismo L2 is built on Polygon zkEVM as the foundational blockchain layer.
Why Put the Budget on Blockchain?
Blockchain is a digital system that records information in a secure and transparent way. Instead of storing data in one place, it saves it across many computers, making the records nearly impossible to change or tamper with.
Every entry is time-stamped and linked to the previous one, creating a permanent “chain” of transactions. For government spending, this means every peso can be tracked in real time.
By putting the national budget on blockchain, citizens could see where funds are allocated and when they are released, reducing opportunities for corruption or misuse. Because records are immutable, once a transaction is published, it cannot be altered, ensuring accountability at every step.
This article is published on BitPinas: Bam Aquino Pushes Blockchain For Government Records
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