Award-winning actor John Arcilla, best known for portraying General Antonio Luna in the critically acclaimed film Heneral Luna, has voiced his support for Senator Bam Aquino’s proposed National Budget Blockchain System. The veteran actor said the initiative would bring significant benefits to the Filipino people.
Senator Aquino recently filed Senate Bill No. 1330, which seeks to establish a National Budget Blockchain System. The proposed measure aims to allow the public to monitor government spending in real time, promoting greater transparency, accountability, and public trust in how funds are managed.
In a Facebook post, Arcilla said, “Ang panukalang ito ay hindi si Senator Bam Aquino ang makikinabang kundi ang Mamamayang Pilipino. Mabuhay po kayo Senator.”
(This proposal will not benefit Senator Bam Aquino, but the Filipino people. Long live, Senator.)
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.
(In blockchain, once the budget for a project and the designated recipient are uploaded, the public can trace it and it can no longer be altered. There’s no escape for anyone trying to cheat. Transparency is clear. Any official who refuses this system likely has intentions to steal.)
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.
(Many will oppose this, not only because corrupt individuals will lose their illicit income, but also because many still don’t understand the technology.)
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).
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