How watchdogs got sidelined again in 2027 House budget talks

LOWER CHAMBER. The House of Representatives Session Hall.

House of Representatives' Facebook page

The People's Budget Coalition appeals to the House of Representatives to 'make CSO participation meaningful,' not 'tokenistic'

MANILA, Philippines – Civil society organizations (CSOs) flagged limited access and late notice in the House of Representatives’ deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget.

“CSO participation in the House budget process has been repeatedly sidelined,” People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) co-coordinator Gybel Agregado said in an online briefing on Friday, September 18.

The PBC said the process fell short of the House committee on appropriations’ commitment to civil society participation, with watchdog groups given limited opportunities to engage in key budget discussions.

“Civil society felt left out of the budget process after being inbox-zoned and seen-zoned multiple times,” the PBC said.

Agregado shared that members of their coalition had sent questions related to the budget deliberations of government agencies to the House of Representatives, but they did not receive any response.

Agregado said CSOs taking part in the People’s Budget Review were given only three minutes each to speak during hearings on the final day of committee deliberations, which she said was not enough.

The PBC also cited instances when CSOs were given short notice of changes to the budget calendar.

The coalition acknowledged the efforts of the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department to engage civil society, as well as the Senate committee on finance’s more direct engagement with CSOs.

But the PBC said technical consultations are not a substitute for direct participation in the House appropriations committee, where key decisions on the budget are made.

The coalition called on the House to directly involve CSOs in budget deliberations and amendments, reopen its accreditation process for civil society groups, and publish amendment and realignment documents promptly in machine-readable formats.

It also urged lawmakers to advance transparency measures such as the proposed CADENA act, which has little to no progress in the House of Representatives. 

The PBC also appealed to the House of Representatives to “make CSO participation meaningful,” not “tokenistic.”

The issues raised this year were similar to those encountered by CSOs in 2025. Last year, civil society groups also flagged restricted access and late notices for budget deliberations.