Sen. Raffy Tulfo Files Second Senate Bill for Blockchain Budget

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The push for a blockchain-based national budget system has gained traction in the Philippine Senate with the filing of a second bill, the “Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act”, introduced by Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo.

SBN 1463

Filed on October 27, 2025, Senator Tulfo’s measure aims to institutionalize the use of blockchain technology to ensure transparency and accountability in government spending, calling it an “anti-corruption measure.”

The bill’s legislative status is currently pending in the Committee as of November 11, 2025. 

Second Bill, Similar Goal

Tulfo’s SBN 1463 follows the earlier filing of Senate Bill No. 1330 by Senator Bam Aquino, which is also known as the “Blockchain the Budget Bill”. It was later updated and refiled as SBN 1506, also known as the Citizen’s Access and Disclosure of Expenditure for National Accountability (CADENA) Act.

SBN 1330 vs. SBN 1463

Both Senate Bill No. 1330 and Senate Bill No. 1463 seek to establish a blockchain-based platform for tracking the national budget. 

• Both bills direct the DICT, DBM and COA to develop and use the system, call for smart contracts to automate fund releases once verified milestones are met, and require all government agencies to integrate their financial systems into the platform.
• Each proposal also asks for an initial ₱500 million appropriation to support development, infrastructure and capacity building.
• The measures differ in terminology and emphasis.
  • Aquino’s SBN 1330 classifies transactions as Digital Public Assets and frames the system around transparency, public participation and improved audit processes.
  • Tulfo’s SBN 1463 labels entries as Digital Public Records and places stronger emphasis on closing gaps in government spending, tightening internal controls and supporting the country’s shift to e-governance.
  • The Tulfo bill highlights features such as automated alerts and validator-node verification, while the Aquino bill outlines immutability, decentralization and system security as core elements.

SBN 1506 vs SBN 1463

Aquino’s CADENA Act had already undergone at least one public hearing and one technical working group meeting by the time Tulfo submitted SBN-1463, based on the Senate’s published legislative activity.

Both measures share the core objective of using the tamper-proof, distributed ledger technology to track public funds in real time.

• Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act
  • Seeks to establish a National Budget Blockchain System (NBBS) where all budget transactions, including allocations, disbursements, and procurements, are recorded as Digital Public Records (DPRs).
  • It mandates the creation of a public-facing online dashboard for citizen oversight and the use of Smart Contracts to regulate fund releases based on met milestones.

• CADENA Act
  • Also mandates a blockchain-based system, recording transactions as Digital Public Assets (DPAs).
  • The CADENA Act, however, is notable for including provisions that would impose administrative and criminal penalties on government officials who fail to disclose transaction documents within mandated timelines.

Public activity around the two bills also differed. Tulfo did not feature SBN-1463 on his social media pages during the period of its filing, in contrast to other measures he typically highlights. During that period, Tulfo’s social media posts showed several international engagements; he also serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers.

Excluding SBN 1330 and SBN 1506/CADENA, Congress has 10 other blockchain-related measures on record for the 20th Congress. 

• These proposals cover a broad range of applications, from government transparency to digital-asset oversight.
• Several focus on modernizing budget management, requiring tamper-proof ledgers, real-time access to spending data, or distributed governance frameworks for improved oversight.
• Others move beyond budgeting. One bill seeks to regulate tokenized real-world assets, stablecoins and digital assets through a dedicated national council, while another proposes the creation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve that would be managed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
• A refiled Senate bill also aims to define and regulate digital assets and the platforms that handle them under the supervision of financial regulators.

For the filed copies of the bills, visit: List of Blockchain and Bitcoin Bills Filed in the Philippines

So far, CADENA Act is the only bill moving forward the legislative process. During its presentation in the Plenary Session on November 12, 2025, it received strong support from fellow senators. 

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This article is published on BitPinas: Sen. Raffy Tulfo Files Second Senate Bill for Blockchain Budget

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