Metro Manila, Philippines – The House of Representatives held a consultation meeting with civil society organizations on Tuesday, Aug. 5 to discuss the transparency of national budget debates.
It was part of the chamber’s goal to institutionalize public participation. In previous budget deliberations, the public could only watch the hearings through livestreams.
“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,” Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said in a statement.
“This is not just about transparency – it’s about empowering citizens to help shape national priorities,” he said
Among those who attended the consultation were representatives from MoveAsOne Coalition, Foundation for Economic Freedom, and We Solve Foundation.
During the plenary session, the House approved Resolution 94, which institutionalizes the active participation of genuine people’s organizations as official non-voting observers in the national budget hearings.
The resolution was filed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Tingog Reps. Yedda Romualdez and Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Acidre.
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READ: House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-list representatives file a resolution aiming to allow people’s organizations to be accredited as observers in the deliberations of the 2026 national budget and all succeeding annual budget debates | @daniza_sf pic.twitter.com/rUoqyLjTL4
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