Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has called for the 2026 P6.793-trillion national budget deliberations—particularly the bicameral (bicam) meetings—to be opened to the public to promote transparency and accountability.
She emphasized that public access to these discussions would allow better monitoring of changes to the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and reveal congressional priorities.
Speaker Martin Romualdez and several senators, including Risa Hontiveros and Panfilo Lacson, have expressed support for the proposal, with Lacson even planning to file a bill mandating transparency in bicam hearings.
However, critics like economist Cielo Magno argue that past promises were not upheld and urged that livestreams, full documentation, and real-time public access be guaranteed.
The push for an “open bicam” gains urgency as the 2025 election-year budget includes significant allocations for infrastructure and aid programs.
Source: PhilNews24 | July 1, 2025
