House leader: Watchdogs at budget talks won't be token participation
The presence of watchdogs and other people's organizations during the deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget will not be mere token participation, Tingog party-list Representative Jude Acidre said.
Last week, Speaker Martin Romualdez said that watchdogs and other civil society observers will be allowed to observe the proposed national budget deliberations, from the committee and plenary level to the bicameral conference committee.
On Tuesday Acidre, as chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, held a consultation with civil society leaders on an inclusive, transparent national budget process at the Batasan.
Among those present were lawyer Natasha Daphne Sta. Clara Marcelo of the MoveAsOne Coalition; Rene Santiago of the Foundation for Economic Freedom; Eunice Tanilon of the We Solve Foundation; Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers; Danica Supnet of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities; Adolfo Jose A. Montesa of the People's Budget Coalition; May R. Cinco of ENet Philippines; John Benedict Felices of the Jesse Robredo Institute/La Salle;, Jeck Cantos of Social Watch, Inc.; Ralph Degoncillo of Health Justice; and Sandino J. Soliman and Bryan Ezra Gonzales of CODE-NGO.
'Under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, we will open the doors to our people for the national budget deliberations. 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. I am encouraged by the energy and the openness that our civil society partners brought to the table today,' Acidre said.
'This is not token participation. Your expertise is recognized and your insights are valued to help shape the decisions we make on public spending,' he added.
Also present during the consultations were House Deputy Secretary General Romulo Emmanuel Miral of the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department and Muel Romero, Head Executive Assistant of the Office of the Speaker.
Romualdez and Acidre were among the authors of House Resolution 94, which provides that bona fide people's organizations and NGOs may be granted official non-voting observer status at the public hearings of the appropriations committee on the national budget and all subsequent general appropriations.
The same Resolution also states that accredited observers would be invited to attend budget briefings and deliberations, submit position papers and access relevant budget documents necessary to support their participation.
Acidre said the consultation was only the start of a series of engagements with civil society groups, including sectoral and regional consultations, to ensure broad representation and participation.
'This is about creating a culture of transparency where civil society has a standing invitation to keep the government on its toes,' Acidre said.
'In the end, a budget is more than just numbers on a spreadsheet: it is a statement of national priorities. If we are serious about making those priorities serve the people, then the people must have a seat in the room where those decisions are made,' Acidre added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
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