Camille Naredo

Article (news)

Philippine Senate

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The Senate has adopted Concurrent Resolution 4 that will, among others, livestream the bicameral conference committee proceedings on the passage of the annual national budget and make budget documents available online in a bid to make the budget process more transparent to the public.The resolution will be binding upon the two  chambers of Congress should it be adopted by both.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/12/lacson-wants-lawmakers-budget-amendments-published-2200">READ: Lacson wants lawmakers&#x27; budget amendments published</a></div>It will mandate  that the following documents be published on both the House and Senate websites: General Appropriations Bill as approved on 3rd reading by the House and transmitted to the Senate; Bicameral Conference Committee Report and Joint Explanation of the Disagreeing Votes; and the Transcripts of the Bicameral Conference Committee Meetings.The House website must publish the following: Transcripts of House budget briefings, public hearings, and  technical working group meetings; Committee on Appropriations Report on the GAB; and Journal records of House plenary deliberations.The Senate website must publish the following: Transcripts of Senate budget briefings, public hearings, and technical working group meetings; Committee on Finance Report on the GAB;  Journal records of Senate plenary deliberations; and Amendments to the GAB approved on third reading by the Senate.Both congressional websites must also publish a detailed matrix prepared by the Senate Committees on Finance and House Committee on Appropriations to ensure the understanding and traceability of budget changes.The matrix must compare the GAB, the Amendments to the GAB made by the Senate, and the Bicameral conference committee version of the budget.The Matrix shall highlight all additions, deletions, modifications, and reallocations of funds, including specific line item changes, across all programs, activities, and projects.The public shall be given a platform on the websites of both Senate  and House of Representatives to communicate their analyses, suggestions, and feedback on the national budget.The Department of Budget and Management is urged to upload to its website  all of the original budget proposals  of government agencies.Lawmakers proposing changes to the annual national budget will be asked to identify a funding source. The Senate Finance Committee Chair will be made to name  the proponents if there are questions on the amendments.Responding to Senator Panfilo Lacson during the plenary deliberations Wednesday,  Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian explained that adding to one item&#x27;s budget means the loss of funding on another item.&quot;Typically when you add budget to certain agencies, you also deduct budget from certain agencies,&quot; he said.&quot;So part of the solution as well as appeal to our colleagues who wish to submit amendments is to assist the committee to look for sources for those amendments as well. Because looking for sources is much more difficult than adding two different programs and activities of the different agencies,&quot; Gatchalian said.Gatchalian also explained that the matrix will give an opportunity to look at the movements between GAB, committee report, and they can propound questions as to why certain offices were added budget and certain offices were also deducted budget.

The Senate has adopted Concurrent Resolution 4 that will, among others, livestream the bicameral conference committee proceedings on the passage of the annual national budget and make budget documents available online in a bid to make the budget process more transparent to the public.

The Senate has adopted Concurrent Resolution 4 that will, among others, livestream the bicameral conference committee proceedings on the passage of the annual national budget and make budget documents available online in a bid to make the budget process more transparent to the public.

Senate adopts resolution to livestream budget deliberations, upload budget documents online

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Senate adopts resolution to livestream budget deliberations, upload budget documents online

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 13, 2025 06:29 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

budget

national budget

deliberations

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