SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Friday expressed full support for the call to institutionalize a transparent budget process by opening bicameral deliberations to the public as part of broader budget reforms he will champion at the opening of the 20th Congress in July.
“Transparency and accountability must be the cornerstones of the budget process,” Romualdez said. “I support the move to make bicameral conference committee discussions open to the public. This is a crucial step in restoring public trust and ensuring that the national budget truly reflects the will and welfare of the people.”
In a related development, the #OpenBicam campaign, gaining traction among reform advocates, pushes for the full disclosure of bicameral conference committee deliberations—often the final stage of reconciling House and Senate versions of the national budget.
Meanwhile, the Marcos administration’s economic team, sitting as the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), has set the state expenditure’s plan for next year at P6.793 trillion.
The DBCC, chaired by Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, approved the proposed fiscal year 2026 national budget ceiling, which was far slimmer than the total budget proposals received by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Pangandaman said the DBM received budget proposals totaling P10.101 trillion for next year.
However, she said that given the limited fiscal space and the government’s commitment to gradually reduce the fiscal deficit over the medium term, “the DBM undertook a rigorous evaluation process.”
The Speaker said live-streaming the bicam proceedings for real-time access by the people and stakeholders would help make the budget process more open to public scrutiny.
Romualdez emphasized that this measure is aligned with his legislative leadership’s commitment to protect public funds.
“We owe it to every Filipino to ensure that the budget is crafted with integrity, discipline, and full disclosure,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez added that the 19th Congress had already laid down important groundwork in enhancing budget transparency. “We passed key accountability measures. Now we must build on that momentum by opening the most sensitive and final stages of the legislative process to the Filipino people.”
He also vowed to work with fellow lawmakers, both in the House and the Senate, to institutionalize the #OpenBicam.
Romualdez called on civil society organizations, academic institutions, media, and all concerned Filipinos to actively monitor the discussions.
“Makialam, makinig, manood (Participate, listen, watch). We invite every citizen to witness how their budget is being crafted—live and unfiltered. This is your money. This is your future. And now, this is your Congress,” Romualdez said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Romualdez backs public access to budget process in bicameral conferences.”
