The House of Representatives is set to launch sweeping reforms in the national budget process aimed at restoring public trust and promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement. In a press briefing on Monday, Appropriations Committee Chair and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mika Suansing announced the formal abolition of the long-standing “small committee” tasked with finalizing institutional amendments to the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) after second reading. “This marks a major turning point. The so-called ‘small committee’—a mechanism that has long been mischaracterized and misunderstood—will be officially scrapped,” Suansing said. “We are replacing it with a process that unfolds in full view of the public.” Under the reforms, all institutional amendments must be discussed and approved before the bill passes second reading. No further amendments will be allowed afterward, aligning budget proceedings with the legislative process for all other bills. The House is also reviewing its budget calendar to allow for deeper plenary deliberations ahead of the second reading. Bicameral conference meetings will be opened to public observation—a historic move backed by Speaker Martin Romualdez to increase transparency in the final stages of budget reconciliation. Civil society organizations will be invited as non-voting observers at all stages of the budget process—from committee hearings to plenary debates and bicam sessions. “Wala nang tagong komite. Wala nang huling minuto. Bubuksan na natin ang tabing sa usaping badyet,” Suansing declared. She emphasized that institutional amendments—such as those for education, health, and public safety—must now be justified with supporting documents and deliberated in open sessions. Speaker Romualdez has strongly backed the reforms as part of a broader transparency agenda, saying the budget process must reflect the will and priorities of the people. “We are replacing archaic processes that placed budget power in the hands of a chosen few,” Suansing added. “From now on, we want everyone involved.” “These changes aren’t just procedural—they are political, moral, and constitutional commitments to restore faith in how public funds are handled,” she said. Suansing concluded: “This is not just reform. This is transformation. Under the leadership of Speaker Romualdez, the House is opening its doors, lifting the curtain, and bringing the people back to the center of the budget process where they rightfully belong.”
haha wala naman silang pinagkaiba ni zaldy co, they are both loyalist to the speaker Tamba, so medyo tagilid ang hope natin sa mga pagbabago na yan, if whether para sa kabutihan ba yan or para sa kapahamakan