Leaders of the House of Representatives have filed a resolution aimed at institutionalizing the involvement of civil society groups in budget hearings conducted by the appropriations committee, promoting transparency and people-centered governance.
House Resolution (HR) 25, which the authors hope to adopt before the 2026 budget cycle begins, seeks to accredit legitimate people’s organizations and allow them to participate as non-voting observers in all public hearings of the House Committee on Appropriations and its sub-committees.
The proposed guidelines stipulate that the Committee on Appropriations, in coordination with the Committee on People’s Participation, will determine the eligibility, accreditation process, and scope of civil society groups’ participation, in accordance with House rules. The resolution cites the 1987 Constitution, particularly Sections 15 and 16 of Article XIII, which recognize the right of the people and their organizations to participate in decision-making and protect their collective interests.
Introduced by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre, the measure reaffirms the House’s commitment to inclusive development and meaningful public participation in the critical legislative function of crafting the national budget. “We want a budget process that truly listens to the people. Mahalagang may boses ang taumbayan sa umpisa pa lang ng budget deliberation upang lalong matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng mamamayan (It is important that the people have a say at the very start of the budget deliberations to address the needs of the citizenry),” Romualdez stated.
He added, “Kaya gusto natin siguraduhin na may kinatawan ang civil society sa mga pagdinig (That’s why we want to ensure that civil society would be represented in all the hearings). This will ensure that the budget process is transparent and accountable to the people.”
The authors emphasized that people’s organizations working in key sectors such as education, public health, social welfare, environment, agriculture, and local governance bring essential expertise that can guide more responsive budgeting. This initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s calls for improved fiscal governance and efforts to realign government spending toward key priorities, including infrastructure, health, and digitalization.
Romualdez has also advocated for a more open bicameral conference committee process when reconciling the final budget version with the Senate to further enhance transparency. “It’s about giving citizens a seat at the table, through civil society organizations,” he concluded.