Resolution eyed to open budget talks

THE SWIFTEST path to opening the 2026 national budget’s bicameral conference proceedings to the public is through a House resolution, a congressman said on Wednesday.

Passing a House resolution to allow public access to the budget bill’s bicameral conference meetings would be quicker than amending the chamber’s rulebook, Party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre said in a media briefing.

“In my opinion, the fastest way to go about this is really to pass a resolution,” he said in Filipino. “Normally, House rules don’t get amended right away.”

“For this to move quickly, we’re… and seriously considering filing a resolution that would propose and institutionalize open deliberations at the bicameral conference level,” he added.

Most bicameral conference committee meetings, where senators and congressmen reconcile conflicting provisions of their bills, are held behind closed doors.

Budget proceedings last year were criticized after the bicameral panel increased unprogrammed funds fourfold to more than P500 billion. The bicameral committee for the 2024 national budget also inserted a provision allowing the National Government to raid the reserve funds of state-owned corporations, with standby funds more than doubling to P731.45 billion.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee has proposed a P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, equivalent to 22% of economic output and 7.4% higher than this year’s budget.

The budget process for next year’s spending plan is expected to kick off in August after the Executive branch submits the budget proposal to the House, according to a Budget department briefer. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio