A COALITION of transparency advocates has asked the House Committee on Appropriations to clarify the status of the proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, urging lawmakers to begin committee action on a measure they said would strengthen public access to government spending records.
In a letter addressed to Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing, Ann Cuisia of Qadena Foundation Inc. requested an update on the bill's status and the committee's timetable for deliberations.
"We recognize the authority of the Committee and fully respect the internal processes of the House," Cuisia wrote. "This letter is not intended to question the prerogative of the Committee, but to respectfully ask that light be shed on the current status of the measure and the expected timeline for its consideration."
The CADENA Act would require the establishment of a digital budget portal that would disclose government transactions covering budget preparation, appropriations, procurement, fund releases, disbursements and audit records to improve transparency and public participation in the budget process. The Senate approved Senate Bill 1506 on third and final reading on Dec. 15, 2025, with a 17-0 vote, and the measure is now pending before the House of Representatives.
According to Cuisia's letter, the House version of the measure was referred to the Committee on Appropriations on May 9, 2026. She said transparency advocates have been awaiting the committee's next action and sought clarification on whether any budgetary issues remain unresolved.
The letter asked the committee to disclose the bill's current status, identify any pending budget concerns, indicate whether a public hearing, technical working group meeting or committee report is being scheduled, and provide an estimated timeline for further action.
Cuisia noted that the proposed measure provides that initial implementation would be funded through the existing appropriations of the Department of Information and Communications Technology for digital governance and transparency programs, with succeeding funding requirements to be included in future General Appropriations Acts.
"The same citizens who fund the national budget through taxes are the citizens asking for a lawful, institutional, and technology-enabled way to see where those funds go," the letter said.
The appeal was endorsed by several leaders from the technology, governance and civic sectors, including Ferdie James Nervida of the Blockchain Practitioners Association of the Philippines, Gail Macapagal of Women in Blockchain Philippines, Dominic Ligot of Data and AI Ethics PH, Ray Edison Refundo of BetterGov.ph, Myrtle Anne Ramos of Block Tides, Maricer Mendiola of PalawaNXT ICT Council, Dr. Al Villarica of Qadena Foundation Inc., and other transparency advocates.
The CADENA Act is among the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council's priority measures. It seeks to institutionalize digital disclosure of government budget transactions to improve accountability and public oversight of government expenditures. As of the latest Senate legislative records, the measure remains pending before the House of Representatives.