About PisoScan
What it is
PisoScan is an independent, non-partisan explorer for Philippine public funds. It is laid out like a block explorer: every record has an ID and a page, every contractor and government office has an address-style profile, and everything is searchable.
It joins datasets that are usually spread across different sites: the national budget (what Congress approved), budget execution (what was released and spent), procurement (who won contracts), DPWH infrastructure (what is being built and where) and COA audit results.
The idea follows the CADENA Act (Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability, Senate Bill No. 1506), which proposes a government budget portal backed by a distributed ledger. The Senate approved it 17–0 on 15 December 2025; reports from mid-2026 say it was still pending in House committee (report). Until such a system exists, PisoScan shows what can already be built from published data.
What it is not
- Not a government website, not the official CADENA portal, and not affiliated with DBM, DPWH, PhilGEPS, COA or BetterGov.ph.
- Not a blockchain. Each record carries a SHA-256 fingerprint of its source row, so anyone can check that PisoScan has not altered it. That proves the copy matches the source, not that the source is true.
- Not an accusation. A contract award, a large amount, a low spending rate or a modified audit opinion is not evidence of wrongdoing. Records show what was published, nothing more.
How to read the numbers
- Appropriation (GAA)
- The authority to spend that Congress enacted. Not the same as money spent.
- Allotment
- Authority released by DBM to an agency to commit funds.
- Obligation
- Funds committed, for example by signing a contract.
- Disbursement
- Money actually paid out.
- Award amount
- The value of a contract when it was awarded. Contracts can later be amended, delayed or terminated.
- Contractor grouping
- Records are grouped when names match after removing case, punctuation and notes such as "(formerly …)". Two companies with the same name would be grouped; one company with two legal names would not.
- Totals across datasets
- PhilGEPS and DPWH can list the same contract, so adding them can count it twice. Pages say so where it matters.
Data sources
Not yet available
Some records the CADENA bill lists are not published in bulk, so they are not here: SAROs and NCAs per project, disbursement vouchers, programs of work and bills of quantities, completion certificates, LGU budgets and barangay spending. PisoScan shows gaps as gaps instead of estimating them. See the open data formats for how new sources can be added.