Philippine Senator Bam Aquino has announced plans to introduce a groundbreaking bill that would put the nation’s budget on a blockchain platform, marking a major step toward transparent governance in the country.
According to a post by a local outlet, Aquino revealed that the bill will be filed in the coming weeks. The measure aims to integrate the government’s budget and transactions into a blockchain system to ensure accountability and transparency. If approved, the Philippines could become one of the first countries in Asia to implement such a system at the national level.
Aquino’s push for blockchain in governance
Aquino first shared his proposal during the Manila Tech Summit 2025, where he addressed the role of emerging technologies in shaping governance. In a Facebook post summarizing his speech, Aquino emphasized how blockchain technology could improve public trust:
“I also talked about innovations like blockchain-based budgeting to make every peso transparent and accountable. By using blockchain for our budget, we can ensure people know where every peso goes.”
The senator’s remarks sparked wide interest, with local TV news channel Bilyonaryo reporting on the initiative. His proposal aligns with a global movement where governments are experimenting with blockchain to make financial records tamper-proof and easily verifiable.
The Philippines’ blockchain journey
The idea of a Philippines blockchain budget is not appearing in a vacuum. The country has been gradually embracing blockchain solutions in recent years.
Just last July, the government rolled out a blockchain-based document validation system on Polygon. The project faced minor challenges, as Polygon experienced a temporary outage on launch day, but it highlighted the nation’s growing commitment to distributed ledger technology.
Much of this momentum has been driven by the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP), a nonprofit that has partnered with the Department of Information and Communications Technology since 2023. Donald Lim, BCP’s founder, said in an earlier interview:
“We feel very strongly that we can be the blockchain capital of Asia.”
Aquino’s proposed bill could be seen as a continuation of this ambition, further positioning the Philippines as a leader in blockchain adoption across Southeast Asia.
Blockchain adoption worldwide
Globally, more governments are looking at blockchain as a way to boost transparency, security, and efficiency. Earlier this month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that the Department of Commerce would begin publishing economic statistics such as GDP data directly on blockchain networks.
Other notable examples include:
- United States: A New Jersey county tokenized $240 billion worth of property deeds, while New York lawmakers explored blockchain for voter protection.
- India: A local administration digitized land records dating back to the 1950s and stored them on the Avalanche blockchain.
- Vietnam: Launched a national blockchain platform last month to verify digital transactions and records across various industries.
These developments show that blockchain is moving beyond cryptocurrency and becoming a tool for improving governance worldwide.
Potential impact of a Philippines blockchain budget
If Aquino’s bill succeeds, the Philippines could set a regional precedent. A blockchain-based budget would mean every peso spent by the government is recorded on an immutable ledger, open to public scrutiny.
This system could address long-standing issues around corruption and mismanagement of funds, while also boosting investor confidence in the country’s governance framework. Furthermore, it would allow ordinary citizens to track public spending in real time, creating a new culture of transparency.
Experts argue that while challenges remain—such as infrastructure readiness and cybersecurity safeguards—the benefits outweigh the risks. For a nation like the Philippines, where technology adoption is growing fast and digital finance is becoming mainstream, blockchain-based governance could redefine how public institutions operate.
Conclusion
Senator Bam Aquino’s proposal for a Philippines blockchain budget is more than just a technological experiment—it is a bold attempt to rebuild public trust in governance. By putting financial transactions on a transparent and immutable platform, the country could pioneer a model that other Asian nations may follow.
As governments worldwide explore blockchain solutions, the Philippines now finds itself at a critical turning point: embracing innovation not just for economic growth but for accountability in the public sector.
