The Executive-generated list of priority measures for the next 12 months has been flagged for including several items that are nowhere near the early stages of lawmaking, while the bill adopting the blockchain for the national budget-touted to boost transparency and cut corruption-is omitted, even though it was passed on third reading by the Senate seven months ago.
The glaring absence of the so-called blockchain-the-budget-bill was raised by its main author, Sen. Bam Aquino, before Secretary Arsenio Balisacan of DepDev at the briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) held at the Senate Thursday.
‘In our legislative agenda, there is a [section on] Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms. I would like to ask Secretary Balisacan, parang kulang po ata [it seems to be missing something]. There is a Ledac [Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council] measure which I championed and which we passed in the Senate. In 2025, it was listed as a priority measure; in 2026 it was still a priority measure. But now it seems the Cadena or Blockchain the Budget Bill was dropped. What’s the reason why it’s not on this list? Are you not supporting this bill, Secretary?’ Aquino asked Balisacan.
Balisacan explained that ‘in the longer list of the Ledac priorities, it’s still there, except when the Ledac met recently, the heads, the leadership of both Congress and Executive, they decided to shorten it at least for the next 12 months, to ensure that we get the measures that are so critical.’
Aquino reminded him, ‘this has passed already on third reading here in the Senate. [Legislative Liaison] Secretary Joey [Salceda] is also here. This has been passed on the Senate. If you want it passed in 12 months, this is one of the measures that can be passed right away. So, I am surprised, was it de-prioritized? This was a priority measure in 2025, number 3 even on the Ledac list in 2025. Now, in 2026, it’s already in the long list.’
Referring to newly installed budget chief de Leon, Aquino added, ‘Secretary Kim here was our consultant, we consulted with him on this bill before he became DBM Secretary.’
Aquino stressed that ‘this bill…will put the budget on blockchain, even the contractors, even the price of cement, of nails, of all purchases of government…it has been discussed in 2025 as very important. I want to understand: why is it not in the priority measure of the DBCC?’
Balisacan explained, ‘No, the way we understand this prioritization measure, Mr. Chair, is that the-all the other measures that are in the priority list can be advanced, with the efforts of all members of Congress and our leadership, the Executive branch. When we shortened the list, Mr. Chair, we know that those on the final ends, have finished Bicam, or are just for signing, we don’t need to emphasize…’
To this, Aquino noted that ‘many measures on this list are not even in a committee report yet. Philippine Budgeting Code, is there a committee report on that already? None yet. The Right to Information, that one has. But [the bill on] Political Dynasty, is still for interpellation here in the Senate. The Party-List [reform bill] is still up for discussion. But Cadena has been passed since-for seven months already in the Senate.’
And, he added, ‘we know that if the Executive and the DBCC and the people here push it, we know it will get passed. So we’re asking for your support, Secretary. Let’s get this passed.’
The senator said that so many groups ‘from inside the government, outside the government,’ have said they want this measure passed. I am wondering why there seems to be no hurry on this one? At the height of the flood control scandal, we all agreed we would push for this, and push for full transparency.
‘So, I’m just very-I’m bothered, Mr. Secretary, that it’s not among the top priority measures, considering it’s almost near the finish line. It also passed already the Committee on Science and Technology in the House.
Passing the Cadena, he said, ‘can be a legacy of this administration and this Senate and Congress. That finally, we put all of the-all of these measures on the blockchain.’
Balisacan promised, ‘we’ll make the representation, Mr. Chair, we’ll bring that issue, that concern to the leadership of Ledac.’
When pressed further, Balisacan told reporters he would recommend including the Cadena bill in the list of priority measures to be passed before June 2027.
The chief economist, however, stressed that its inclusion would ultimately depend on the decision of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac).
Ledac, established under Republic Act 7640, serves as the President’s advisory body on priority policy and legislative matters supporting long-term national development.
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) has served as its principal secretariat since 1992.
Balisacan also said the inclusion of the blockchain bill in the reprioritized list would depend on whether lawmakers have enough time to tackle the measure.
‘The only problem is whether they will have enough time, because they have an impeachment court, right?’ he said.
Nevertheless, Balisacan said he could ‘recommend and see it through.’