Senator Paolo "Bam" Aquino IV called for greater transparency in government spending after flooding in several parts of the country killed at least 19 people and displaced thousands.

Flooding hit parts of the National Capital Region, Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon, and Central Luzon following Typhoons Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon, or habagat, raising questions about the effectiveness of the government's flood control efforts.

“Mahigit isang taon na nang nanawagan tayo ng imbestigasyon ukol sa flood control projects ng gobyerno. Pero hindi pa ito nareresolba. Hanggang ngayon, patuloy pa rin ang pagbaha na nagdudulot ng matinding perwisyo sa publiko (It has been more than a year since we called for an investigation into the government’s flood control projects. But the issue has yet to be resolved. Until now, flooding continues to cause severe disruption and hardship to the public),” Aquino said.

Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 28 in July 2025 calling for an investigation into the country's flood control program.

He said the government should account for the billions of pesos allocated to flood control and provide the public with clear information on how the money has been spent.

“Dapat malinaw sa taumbayan kung saan napupunta at paano ginagamit ang bilyon-bilyong pisong inilaan para sa flood control. Pera ito ng bayan, buwis natin, na dapat tumulong sa taumbayan (It should be clear to the public where the billions of pesos allocated for flood control are going and how they are being used. This is public money, our taxes, which should be used to help the people),” he said.

“Kailangan natin ng sistemang nagbibigay ng tuloy-tuloy na transparency at accountability sa paggastos ng pondo ng bayan upang hindi na maulit ang pagnakaw na nagdudulot ng matinding pagbaha ngayon sa ating lansangan (We need a system that provides continuous transparency and accountability in the use of public funds so that theft that contributes to the severe flooding we are experiencing on our streets today will not happen again),” he added.

Aquino also renewed his call for passage of the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, also known as the “Blockchain the Budget Bill.”

“Panahon na upang maisabatas ang CADENA Act o Blockchain the Budget Bill, na magbibigay sa publiko ng mas malinaw at madaling paraan para mabantayan kung saan napupunta at ginagastos ang pera ng gobyerno (It is time to pass the CADENA Act, or the Blockchain the Budget Bill, which would give the public a clearer and easier way to monitor where government money goes and how it is spent),” he said.

The Senate approved the measure, Senate Bill No. 1506, on third and final reading in December 2025 by a 17-0 vote. It has yet to be acted on by the House of Representatives, despite being among 21 priority measures endorsed by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council in February 2026.

Aquino urged the House to prioritize the bill as the government prepares its next budget.

The CADENA Act would require government agencies to upload and regularly update budget documents, including contracts, project costs, bills of materials, and procurement records, on a Digital Budget Platform.

The proposed platform would make the records publicly accessible, tamper-resistant, traceable, open-source, and verifiable. Officials who fail to disclose required documents or submit fraudulent information could face administrative and criminal penalties.