By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
Acting Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Kim de Leon on Friday backed livestreaming the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
De Leon said opening the bicameral proceedings to public scrutiny would promote a “more transparent, accountable, and participatory budget process.”
“As the proposed budget moves through Congress, there has also been considerable discussion about opening the bicameral conference committee deliberations to greater public scrutiny. The DBM welcomes and supports efforts towards greater transparency in the bicameral process,” he said during an economic forum at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Assembly Hall in Manila.
The 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) prepared by the Marcos Jr. administration seeks to fund its priorities in education, health, infrastructure, and social protection.
De Leon said the proposed NEP is based on the latest macroeconomic assumptions approved by the Development Budget Coordination Committee.
He said transparent budget deliberations would help the public understand how taxpayers’ money is spent and strengthen accountability and trust in government.
“For us, greater transparency strengthens, not complicates, the budget process. We have nothing to gain from making the budget difficult to understand,” de Leon said.
“We are doing this at a time when Filipinos are demanding greater transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. We welcome that scrutiny. If public money is involved, public scrutiny should never be treated as an inconvenience,” he added.
In December 2025, the bicameral conference committee livestreamed its deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget for the first time.
De Leon acknowledged that the decision to open the bicameral deliberations on the 2027 budget rests with Congress.
“We fully respect its constitutional authority, rules, and procedures. Should Congress move toward an open bicam, DBM stands ready to fully support it by providing the necessary technical information, budget documents, and clarifications to help ensure that the discussions are informed, accurate, and accessible to the public,” he said.
The House of Representatives is targeting to approve the proposed 2027 national budget by Oct. 9. It will begin deliberations on the 2027 NEP on Aug. 17.
