Bill allowing public participation in budget deliberations pushed

MANILA, Philippines - Senators pressed for the approval of a bill that would allow public participation in budget deliberations.

At least four senators led by Senate finance committee chairman Franklin Drilon delivered their respective sponsorship speeches for proposed Senate Bill No. 2857, also known as the People’s Participation in the National Budget Process Act of 2011, last Monday.

“Article eight of our Constitution affords people’s organizations with the right to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political and economic decision making,” Drilon said.

Drilon added that the current administration has a policy of transparency and that this was reflected in President Aquino’s budget message for 2012.

The President said the proposed P1.8-trillion national budget for 2012 was “designed to transmit daylight into the crevices of governance, starting with the use of the people’s fund.”

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, who filed a similar bill when he was a member of the House of Representatives, expressed confidence that the measure would finally be passed under the present administration.

“Participation is not only enshrined in the Constitution but is part of our culture as a people, which goes back to traditional community practices and village councils where every villager participated in and contributed to community decisions,” Guingona said in his co-sponsorship speech.

He said at least four countries – South Africa, Bolivia, India and Brazil – have institutionalized people’s participation in the budget process with the passage of a similar legislation.

“Humility in the knowledge that the government does not know everything is the key to development. We need to open up government processes to the people. Knowledge gleaned from inputs by the people from the grassroots will only enhance and inform government’s decision-making when it comes to spending the people’s money for the greater good,” Guingona said.

Sens. Loren Legarda and Pia Cayetano also delivered their respective co-sponsorship speeches.

Under the bill, accredited civil society organizations (CSO) would be allowed to attend and participate in budget deliberations in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

CSOs would have access to copies of the budget proposals submitted by the national government agencies (NGA) and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC), as well as other documents prepared by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

They would be allowed to submit their respective position papers to the DBM and even their own alternative or proposed budgets. CSOs would also be allowed to present written proposals on projects and activities of government entities.