MANILA—The House of Representatives will open on Monday its deliberations on the proposed ₱6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, which President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. has submitted to Congress.

The House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela “Mika” Suansing, will receive a briefing from the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the country’s economic situation and the macroeconomic assumptions behind the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan Jr., Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr. are set to present the briefing.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is expected to welcome the DBCC members at the opening of the hearings. On Sunday, he underscored the House’s commitment to transparency and reforms in the budget process.

“We want not only to inform but to involve the public, because the national budget is the people’s money. It should benefit them all,” Romualdez said.

“Kung ang pinag-uusapan ay ang pera ng taong bayan, dapat taong bayan din ang nakakaalam at makikinabang. Wala tayong itatago sa kanila,” he added.

Romualdez said the NEP reflects the Bagong Pilipinas spending priorities of President Marcos. He also outlined several reforms the House will implement in budget enactment and execution, including:

• Inviting civil society groups, people’s organizations, and the private sector to participate in hearings, with copies of the NEP distributed to representatives of several organizations.
• Prioritizing investments in agriculture, infrastructure, education, health, and defense and disaster preparedness.
• Abolishing the “small committee” that previously collated amendments after the budget’s approval.
• Opening to the public the bicameral conference between the House and Senate on the budget.
• Strengthening oversight on budget execution by requiring timely agency reports and real-time tracking of major projects.

“Bawat pisong ginastos, dapat may katumbas na serbisyong nararamdaman ang taong bayan,” Romualdez said.