THE House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted House Resolution (HR) No. 94, a landmark measure seeking to institutionalize the participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) as official non-voting observers in the budget deliberations of the powerful Committee on Appropriations.
Spearheaded by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Jude A. Acidre, and Andrew Julian K. Romualdez, the resolution affirms the House’s strong commitment to transparency, people-centered governance, and inclusive development.
“Siguradong mas malakas ang boses ng taumbayan sa deliberasyon ngayon ng 2026 national budget para sa mas transparent na proseso,” said Speaker Romualdez.
HR No. 94 aims to accredit bonafide people’s organizations and enable them to attend and observe all public hearings conducted by the House Committee on Appropriations and its sub-committees during the national budget deliberations.
The resolution mandates that the Committee on Appropriations, in coordination with the Committee on People’s Participation, shall determine the eligibility, accreditation process, and scope of CSO involvement in accordance with the House Rules.
The measure is anchored on the 1987 Constitution, particularly Sections 15 and 16 of Article XIII, which recognize the right of the people and their organizations to participate in decision-making processes and protect their collective interests. It also cites Section 3, Chapter 2, Book VI of the Revised Administrative Code, which defines the national budget as an instrument of national development.
The authors emphasized that people’s organizations working in vital sectors—such as education, public health, social welfare, environment, agriculture, and local governance—bring critical perspectives and on-the-ground expertise that can help guide more responsive and equitable budgeting.
The initiative also complements President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push for sound fiscal governance and strategic alignment of public spending with national priorities such as infrastructure, healthcare, and digitalization.
Speaker Romualdez has consistently advocated for greater transparency in the budget process, including opening the traditionally closed bicameral conference committee to the public and media and abolishing the small committee.
