THE HOUSE of Representatives on Tuesday approved a measure allowing civil groups to sit in during budget discussions at the chamber.
In a voice vote, congressmen adopted House Resolution No. 94, paving the way for observers to monitor House budget deliberations amid calls for transparency in the budget process. The measure also mandates the House appropriations committee to establish accreditation guidelines.
In line with this Party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre met with representatives from civil groups, holding a consultation meeting to understand how to make the budget process more inclusive and transparent.
“We believe that involving civil society groups at the very start of budget discussions will help us craft a national budget that is more responsive, inclusive and aligned with the needs of our people,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a congressman on Tuesday called on the House of Representatives appropriations panel to release the full list of amendments made by a group of lawmakers to the 2025 budget bill after it was approved on third reading, saying that such a move would show the chamber’s commitment to budget transparency.
While the House budget panel plans to push the scrapping of the “small committee” reviewing budget amendments, Navotas Rep. Tobias Reynald M. Tiangco said it is only the “first step” to pushing transparency in the budget process.
“We cannot move forward and simply forget the wrongdoings of the past,” Navotas Rep. Tobias Reynald M. Tiangco said in a statement. “We have to uncover the sins of the 2025 budget.”
Lawmakers are pushing for a more transparent budget process following criticism of this year’s spending plan, which was marred by allegations of pork barrel insertions and controversy over the bicameral committee’s handling of unprogrammed funds. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
