HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and the Tingog party-list have filed House Resolution (HR) No. 94, seeking to allow civil society observers to monitor the bicameral conference committee meetings on the proposed national budget. This move aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the budget process.
The resolution, filed on July 30, 2025, proposes that the House Committee on Appropriations, in consultation with the Committee on People’s Participation, develop guidelines for the selection and accreditation of civil society organizations.
The resolution emphasizes the valuable expertise that NGOs possess in various sectors, arguing that their participation can improve the budget’s responsiveness to the needs of the Filipino people.
This initiative follows Speaker Romualdez’s earlier announcement that future bicameral meetings on the budget would be open to third-party observers and livestreamed.
This commitment to transparency comes in response to President Marcos Jr.’s call for a more transparent and corruption-free budget process, as expressed in his State of the Nation Address.
The President warned that he would not sign any budget that deviates from the administration’s priorities. Concerns about irregularities in the 2025 budget, particularly regarding flood control projects, fueled the push for greater transparency. Other lawmakers have also filed similar resolutions to increase transparency in the budget process.
