Metro Manila, Philippines – A senator has sought for more transparency in bicameral conference committee meetings to avoid questionable changes in the budget proposal.
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros raised the issue before Tuesday’s briefing by economic managers on the 2025 budget as she recalled the bicam’s move to transfer P449 billion from programmed appropriations to unprogrammed funds in the current budget.
Projects under unprogrammed items can only be funded through loans or excess revenue.
“Nawala, halimbawa, ang P70 billion na budget para sa flood control projects, pati na ang para sa right-of-way — kung kaya hindi natin magamit ngayon ang official development assistance na galing sa ADB (Asian Development Bank), World Bank at JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency),” Hontiveros said.
[Translation: For example, the P70 billion budget for flood control projects, as well as the budget for right-of-way, disappeared. As a result, we are unable to utilize the official development assistance from the ADB, World Bank, and JICA.]
“Now, I hope we do not make this mistake again of de-prioritizing hundreds of billions of funds proposed by the President and already approved by both the House and the Senate,” Hontiveros said.
She said the bicam should hold full face-to-face meetings with all members present, rather than having only the heads of the Senate and House contingents discuss matters on their own.
She said the full bicam report should be made available for all lawmakers to scrutinize before it is reported to the plenary.
Hontiveros said she will formalize her proposals, which would entail possible amendments to the bicam rules.
The Senate and House hold separate deliberations on the proposed P6.532-trillion national budget for next year.
