Award-winning actor John Arcilla, best known for his role in the critically acclaimed film “Heneral Luna”, expressed his support for the proposed National Budget Blockchain System authored by Senator Bam Aquino, saying that the measure would greatly benefit the Filipino people.
Senator Aquino earlier filed Senate Bill No. 1330, which mandates the establishment of a National Budget Blockchain System that will allow citizens to track government spending in real-time, thereby enhancing transparency, accountability, and public trust.
“Ang panukalang ito ay hindi si Senator Bam Aquino ang makikinabang kundi ang Mamamayang Pilipino. Mabuhay po kayo Senator,” John said in a Facebook post.
In an earlier post, John stressed that the adoption of blockchain technology in government budgeting will ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
“Sa blockchain kapag naupload na ang budget para sa isang proyekto at sino ang mag-rereceive ng budget at assign sa project pwedeng ma-trace ng public at hindi na pwede baguhin pa. Walang lusot ang mandadaya. Malinaw ang transparency. Ang opisyal na hindi papayag dito at ayaw nito ay gustong mangupit,” he stressed.
John also called on Filipinos to read, support, and share the proposal to help eradicate corruption in the Philippines.
Another veteran actor, Edu Manzano, backed Sen. Bam’s proposal, calling it a groundbreaking step toward eliminating corruption in government.
“This is huge. We will become the first country in the world to adopt blockchain in the name of transparency if this becomes law,” Edu said on Facebook.
“This may just be the silver bullet we need to eliminate corruption once and for all. Maraming tututol dito not only because mawawalan na ng kita ang mga korap, but many still don’t understand the technology,” he added.
Edu said blockchain technology is like a digital ledger or notebook that cannot be erased or altered once something is logged. “Every payment, down to the contractor buying cement, is recorded. Citizens, journalists, or auditors can trace the flow of money step by step, like tracking a package delivery,” he added.
Through blockchain, there will only be one report accessible to government agencies, watchdogs, and the public, all updated in real time.
“Blockchain can even use ‘smart contracts,’ meaning money is only released when conditions are met. For example, if a contractor hasn’t finished 50% of the school building, the next payment won’t be released automatically. This prevents ghost projects and overbilling,” Edu stressed.
If enacted into law, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and the Commission on Audit, will establish a blockchain-based budget system where all records of the national budget are recorded as digital public assets (DPAs).
