Civic, tech groups urge House to prioritize CADENA Act

• Photo courtesy of Ann Cuisia/ House of Representatives

A coalition of civic, professional, and technology organizations, including members of BetterGov.PH’s technical working group, has urged the House of Representatives to prioritize the CADENA Act, a proposed measure that would allow Filipinos to track government budgets and spending through a public digital platform.

In a letter dated September 21 and received by congressional offices on September 29, the coalition appealed for the immediate passage of the House counterpart of Senate Bill No. 1506, or the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act.

The coalition was convened by Traxion Tech CEO Ann Cuisia, a member of BetterGov and the technical working group that refined the proposed legislation.

The letter was addressed to House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, with copies furnished to Majority Floor Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, Appropriations Committee Chairperson Mikaela Angela Suansing, and Information and Communications Technology Committee Chairperson Miguel Luis Villafuerte.

According to BetterGov.PH, the measure was approved by the Senate with a 17-0 vote in December but has remained pending in the House for approximately nine months.

The CADENA Act seeks to improve transparency and accountability by making government budget allocations and expenditure records accessible through a public, trackable digital platform.

“Whether the House treats this the way the Senate did, or lets it sit for another nine months, will say a lot about how much lawmakers actually want the public watching where the money goes,” BetterGov.PH said.

“Sa dami ng political noise today, sana hindi mawala sa focus ang mga sistemang puwedeng makatulong sa publiko na mas malinaw na makita: Where does our money go?” Cuisia said.

The coalition’s appeal comes amid renewed attention to digital tools that allow the public to monitor government spending.

If enacted, the measure would establish a digital mechanism through which citizens could follow how public funds are allocated and spent.

BetterGov.PH called on Filipinos to support the proposed legislation and bring greater public attention to its pending status in the House of Representatives.