Politics · Philippines Bureau
House seeks to open P7.2-trillion budget negotiations to public scrutiny
The House of Representatives is negotiating with the Senate to livestream or publicly broadcast joint congressional deliberations on the Philippines' P7.2-trillion national budget for next year. The move would break from tradition by opening historically closed-door budget talks to public viewing.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Lawmakers are pushing to make the upcoming bicameral committee negotiations on the P7.2-trillion budget more transparent by allowing public access to the proceedings, Nueva Ecija Representative Mikaela Angela Suansing said Tuesday.
Suansing said House members are coordinating with their Senate counterparts to open the joint congressional talks on next year's spending plan, which have traditionally been conducted behind closed doors. The effort reflects growing calls for greater transparency in the budget process.
The bicameral committee, formed when the House and Senate pass different versions of budget legislation, typically meets in private to reconcile the competing proposals. Opening these negotiations would mark a significant departure from standard practice and potentially allow constituents to observe how lawmakers allocate public funds.
No timeline was provided for when the discussions between chambers would conclude or whether the public broadcast would be approved by both the House and Senate leadership. The P7.2-trillion budget represents the government's spending roadmap for the coming fiscal year and covers all major departments and agencies.