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PARA tiyakin walang bahid-dungis ang proposed 2026 national budget, binigyang-diin ng mababang kapulungan ang bentahe ng Interim Guidelines on People’s Organizations’ Engagement na naglalayong buksan sa publiko ang proseso ng Kongreso.
Partikular na tinukoy ni Princess Abante na tumatayong tagapagsalita ng Kamara ang paglahok ng mga kinatawan mula sa civil society organizations (CSO) sa deliberasyon ng mababang kapulungan.
“The House leadership has been transparent from the beginning: this year’s guidelines are interim, designed to fit within the constitutional and operational limits of the 2026 budget calendar,” pahayag ni Abante.
“We are navigating strict timelines, complex logistics, and the need to integrate a new system of public participation into a highly structured legislative process,” dagdag niya.
Sinabi ni Abante na ang mga pagbabago ay hindi pa ang final model. Katunayan aniya, ang unang bahagi ng implementasyon ng panuntunan ay maituturing na pilot period.
Hangad aniya ng nasabing hakbang tukuyin ang mga balakid para paghusayin ang tinawag niyang “institutional process.”
Ipinunto rin niya na nakatuon ang Kamara sa pagtatatag ng pangmatagalang participatory framework na nakabatay sa ebidensya, karanasan, at feedback ng mga stakeholders.
“We chose to move forward—even with limitations—because delaying reform would only delay people’s voices. We did not want perfection to be the enemy of participation,” diin ni Abante.
“We thank these organizations for their constructive engagement, adherence to the process, and dedication to pursuing reforms from within. Their participation reflects a commitment to dialogue over division, and collaboration over criticism.”
Naglabas din ang Kamara ng breakdown ng accreditation process: anim na CSOs ang na-accredit, apat ang nagpahayag ng intensyon na magsumite ng requirements, dalawa ang nagpaliban ng partisipasyon, at 14 pa ang hindi sumasagot.
“The door is always open. Participation is not a one-shot deal—it is a commitment we can build on together,” wika ni Abante.
Aniya, itinuturing ng Kamara ang karanasan sa 2026 bilang isang “valuable baseline for building a more robust framework for 2027 and beyond.”
“Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and the House leadership are committed to documenting this year’s implementation lessons, engaging CSOs in post-budget assessments, and crafting a more inclusive and standardized participation framework in future budget cycles,” pahabol ni Abante. (ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II)
