‘Provinces and congressional districts that will corner huge budgetary allocations at the expense of sectors badly in need of budget boost will also be unmasked in broad daylight.’
THE latest pronouncements from both the Senate and the House of Representatives regarding the unprecedented move to open budget bicameral deliberations to the public represent such a pivotal moment.
This initiative, strongly supported by the leaderships and members of both houses of Congress, marks a decisive step towards greater transparency and accountability in the nation’s budget process.
For years, bicameral conference committee meetings on the general appropriations bill have been viewed by many as a “black box,” a crucial yet largely opaque stage where the final shape of the national budget is determined behind closed doors.
The committee has also been called the “Third House” for wielding the power to alter what has been agreed on in the plenary, just to cater to the lawmakers’ personal interests or of those they hold dear.
As Senate Secretary Renato Bantug aptly stated, calls for increased transparency are “always welcome” to ensure the process is “open and transparent, consistent with the constitutional precept that public office is a public trust.”
Speaker Martin Romualdez, in a subtle admission that Congress has indeed lost the trust of the public, said, “This is a crucial step in restoring public trust and ensuring that the national budget truly reflects the will and welfare of the people.”
By throwing open the doors of the bicameral sessions, legislators are also making a powerful statement: We have nothing to hide.
But the move to open up the budget bicameral meetings should go beyond a “pa-pogi” gesture; it should be about showing the public what’s happening and ultimately holding accountable those who are in power.
Imagine citizens, for the first time, being able to witness in real time the intricate negotiations, the debates over line items, and the rationale behind every budgetary decision.
Provinces and congressional districts that will corner huge budgetary allocations at the expense of sectors badly in need of budget boost will also be unmasked in broad daylight.
Budget deliberations under constant public scrutiny will inherently encourage more responsible and principled decision-making from lawmakers, and reduce opportunities for last-minute insertions, pork barrel allocations, or the prioritization of special interests over the needs of the broader populace.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. complained last year about congressional insertions and funding cuts that characterized the 2025 budget, including a P12-billion slash from the Department of Education and P14.5 billion from state universities and colleges, despite a constitutional mandate that the sector always gets the lion’s share in the budget.
The bold move comes also at a time when members of the 20th Congress are poised to scrutinize the government’s proposed 2026 budget of P6.793 trillion, another record outlay from the current year’s spending bill of P6.326 trillion.
Committing to transparency is easier said than done as budget negotiations can be complex and prone to compromises, with some demanding confidentiality to move the budget forward.
However, the benefits of transparency far outweigh these concerns. The public’s right to know how their money is being spent is a cornerstone of democratic governance.
After making the budget bicameral sessions open to public viewing, both houses of Congress can next agree to make the “open bicam” permanent and institutionalized, applying to all bicameral proceedings on major pieces of legislation.
When people feel they have a direct stake and a clear 360-degree view of how their taxes are being utilized, they are more likely to support government initiatives and endure sacrifices when called upon.
