House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson Zia Alonto Adiong on Thursday said the House’s push for the first-ever fully open bicameral conference committee is part of a broader transparency effort that has been developing within the institution since the start of the 20th Congress.
Adiong noted that many of the measures now being applied—particularly the decision to open bicam proceedings to the public and the media—trace back to procedural reforms introduced during the early part of the 20th Congress under then Speaker Martin Romualdez, which sought to make the national budget process easier for the public to follow and understand.
“These reforms were designed to make the budget more transparent, participatory, and accessible,” Adiong said.
“They set the tone for how the House continues to improve the process today,” the lawmaker added.
He recalled key changes that helped establish the transparency framework now guiding the 2026 budget deliberations:
• Abolition of the ‘small committee’, which previously finalized amendments behind closed doors;
• Opening of House–Senate bicameral conference meetings to allow real-time scrutiny by the public and the media;
• Formal participation of civil society groups, people’s organizations, and private sector representatives in House budget hearings;
• Strengthened oversight mechanisms to ensure timely and proper implementation of appropriations; and
• Prioritization of investments that directly benefit communities and essential public services.
Adiong said these institutional reforms reflect the House’s ongoing commitment to a budget process that upholds transparency, accountability, and public engagement.
“These improvements are not merely procedural,” Adiong said. “They reinforce a culture of openness and help ensure that citizens can clearly see how national resources are allocated and used.”
