Budget bicam hearings open to watchdogs
Senate finance committee chair Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito on Saturday said the Senate will open the bicameral conference committee to civil society organizations (CSOs) for a more transparent budget for next year.
The Senate will resume its plenary sessions on Nov. 9 and will deliberate on the P7.2-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2027.
Ejercito said apart from livestreaming the hearings, senators have invited business coalitions, civic groups and watchdogs to help the Senate scrutinize the House-approved version of the 2027 GAB.
“We are continuing to build on our best practices. This year, we will be inviting CSOs to sit in and observe the bicameral proceedings,” he said in a statement.
“Having more eyes on the budget will help us spot any unvetted projects or last-minute insertions that may be introduced during the bicam,” he added.
All Senate finance committee budget hearings will be livestreamed to allow the public to follow through the deliberations of each agency in real time, Ejercito said.
He said the committee met with CSOs on Oct. 26, with business coalitions, civic groups and watchdogs presenting their recommendations on the proposed budget.
Among the recommendations pushed were digital tools, such as BetterGov.ph embedded in the Senate’s budget transparency portal.
“These tools were built by watchdogs themselves, and we are glad to give them a home on the Senate website so ordinary citizens can scrutinize where public funds are going,” Ejercito said.
He said the Senate finance committee is already finalizing its subcommittee report and will formally sponsor the 2027 GAB on the Senate floor.
The said initiatives, Ejercito said, align with his pending legislative measures, such as the Senate Bill No. 2576, or the Bantay Budget Act, which seeks to institutionalize CSO participation in the national budget proceedings.
He added that Senate Bill No. 257, or the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Act, aims to incorporate community planning into local and national spending plans.
“A national budget should be a direct reflection of the people’s priorities, their basic needs. From the first hearing to the final bicam, we want every single peso in the 2027 budget to be accountably and transparently allocated,” he stressed.
