GM! This Wednesday, Sen. Bam Aquino’s blockchain bill (now called CADENA) will be deliberated on the Senate floor. What usually happens at this point is this:
The bill’s author (in this case, Sen. Aquino) will deliver a sponsorship bill on the floor.
Senate will debate, interpellate, rebut, etc, to discuss the pros and cons of the bill.
Our publication has covered the bill since its inception. For a brief refresher, please check:
Technical Working Group (by Ann Cuisia)
Condensed timeline (from this newsletter)
In today’s weekly news recap, these are some of the biggest stories we covered:
⛓️ Cadena bill gets support from crypto leaders, transparency advocates
🆔 DCitizen ID is Davao City’s digital identification for unified public service
☕ Caffeine AI draws over 200 attendees, showcases AI-powered app building in minutes
⛓️ Cadena Bill Gets Support From Crypto Leaders, Transparency Advocates
The revised measure, now officially titled Citizens’ Access & Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (Senate Bill No. 1330), has received positive feedback from key industry leaders.
According to his recent Facebook post, Luis Buenaventura, GCash Executive and GCrypto Head, acknowledged his earlier skepticism but said he has since changed his stance after reading the latest draft.
Buenaventura noted that the new version is “barely recognizable from the first draft” released in early September.
He also acknowledged that the initial criticisms may have been warranted but emphasized that early versions of any bill are expected to undergo significant revisions and that the process shows the value of not pushing measures forward blindly.
Technologist advocate and entrepreneur Ann Cuisia, CEO of TraXion Tech, praised the bill’s transformation into a principle-based framework.
She highlighted four major improvements:
Adoption of tech-neutral language focused on transparency outcomes rather than specific technologies.
Expanded disclosure requirements for key budget documents.
Stronger accountability mechanisms with criminal penalties for noncompliance.
A citizen-centric framing that emphasizes taxpayers’ right to transparency.
Check out this article for the full details, which include comments from AI advocate Dominic Ligot and Rogerine Miguel-Irvine of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
🆔 DCitizen ID is Davao City’s Digital Identification for Unified Public Service
According to Reverion Technologies, as confirmed by co-founder Rod Albores, they are working directly with the Davao LGU on the rollout of DCitizen ID.
For the initiative, each ID will be linked to the blockchain through a unique hash code, which he noted will ensure every citizen’s record is securely stored and verifiable.
In response to a BitPinas inquiry, Albores shared that the blockchain-linked ID will initially be used for accessing basic city services such as transportation, medical assistance, and educational support, similar to Singapore’s SingPass system.
☕ Caffeine AI Meetup Draws Over 200 Attendees, Showcases AI-Powered App Building in Minutes
According to a Facebook post from ICP HUB Philippines (ISLA Camp – ICP HUB PH) co-founder Nelson Lumbres, more than 350 individuals registered for the event, with over 100 prototypes submitted during the Caffeine AI Hackathon.
The program featured live demos, keynotes, and panels highlighting the future of conversational AI.
Attendees also had hands-on experience at the Caffeine Experience Pods, where they could build AI-powered applications in real time.
Caffeine’s Tech Lead Andrea Faith Alimorong led live mentoring sessions during the hackathon.
The event also featured international collaboration, with partners from Indonesia flying in to share expertise.
There was also university participation from National University, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, AMA, FEU Tech, and others.
Caffeine AI, the platform behind the event, enables users to build apps and websites simply by conversing with artificial intelligence. It removes the need for traditional coding.
Check out the article here.
🇵🇭 Around the Philippines
Museigen, in partnership with the GCash Team, will hold Crypto Lookback 2025 – BitBulaga Live on November 29, 2025 in Taguig City.
The event will feature industry figures Luis Buenaventura, Gilbert Lazaro (Tito G), Gerome Lazaro (Kuyang Gerome), and Aldrin Rabino (Crypto4Chun) in a panel discussion.
They will review key developments in crypto, Web3, and real-world assets this year, as well as trends expected to shape 2026.
Base Philippines reported that the Base Build Jose Rizal University event took place on October 15, 2025, where participants gained insights into project-building concepts and best practices.
The session was led by DevRel Ray Tristan Publeo and Based Contributor Julius Patrick Fresco, who shared their expertise with attendees.
The event was organized by JBECP JRU, which Base Philippines commended for successfully leading the initiative.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a 41-year-old Chinese national in Parañaque City for allegedly running a home-based cryptocurrency investment scam and violating immigration laws.
The suspect was caught operating a workstation used for online fraud and was found to be an overstaying alien without a valid work permit.
Paytaca unveiled a sneak preview of its upcoming Paytaca POS update, which will allow merchants to accept payments in any Cashtoken with liquidity on CauldronSwap.
In the demo, the system showcased support for MUSD, a stablecoin by MoriaMoney.
🏎️ Second Hearing of SB 1330
On November 4, 2025, during its second public hearing, Senator Bam Aquino’s proposed Blockchain Bill was rebranded as the CADENA Act.
It is a transparency measure aimed at making all government spending trackable through a digital, tech-neutral platform.
The bill is set for Senate sponsorship on November 12, with Phase 1 rollout targeted for 2026.
📅 Event Calendar
Final words
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By Michael Mislos, Editor-in-Chief, BitPinas