House appropriations panel to continue reforms in budget process for 2027 GAB

The House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday said it will sustain structural reforms to make the budget process transparent, participatory, and open to public scrutiny as the Congress deliberates on the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

“This budget must be more than a spreadsheet of numbers, it must be a covenant of accountability. This budget must embody our collective resolve to build a stronger and better future for every Filipino. This budget needs to hold a hope for a nation where no Filipino is left behind,” said House appropriations panel chairperson Mikaela Suansing in her sponsorship speech for 2027 General Appropriations Bill at the start of the plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives.

Suansing said that the lower chamber intends to expand upon the structural changes introduced during the last budget cycle, answering public demands for greater openness in how public funds are distributed.

“We enacted a series of structural reforms that placed transparency, accountability and public participation at the center of our budget process. At ang ating mga magagandang nasimulan noong nakaraang taon, ipinagpapatuloy po natin sa pagbuo ng budget para sa taong 2027 [And the good progress we started last year, we are continuing as we craft the budget for the year 2027]," she said.

Following the abolition of the "Small Committee," the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc) will publicly review proposed amendments to the House General Appropriations Bill before its second reading.

The Congress also hosted the second People’s Budget Review and launched the CSO and People’s Organization Corner on the House website, providing public access to official documents, schedules, and live streams of deliberations, said Suansing.

“Moreover, we are happy to report that the Civil Society Organization and People’s Organization Corner is now live in the House of Representatives website and that is a portal through which civil society organization partners can access pertinent documents," the lawmaker said.

"For example, copy of the House General Appropriations Bill, the copy of the schedules, and the links to all the live streams of committee and plenary as well as BARSc deliberations. We want to engage civil societies meaningfully, Madam Speaker and we are taking all the steps could to make that happen,” Suansing added.

The House is collaborating with the Senate to keep bicameral conference committee proceedings open to the public for the second consecutive year.

“Matibay po ang paninindigan ng inyong Kongreso na tanggalin ang tabing sa usaping budget at talagang ipakita kung saan napupunta ang bawat piso ng buwis na mula sa dugo at pawis ng bawat Pilipino," said Suansing.

(Your Congress stands firm in lifting the veil on budget matters and truly showing where every peso of tax—earned from the blood and sweat of every Filipino—goes.) — BM, GMA News