MANILA — Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero has called for the participation of governors and city mayors in the Senate’s deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget, saying their voices have long been excluded from the process.

“They have been sidelined for too long. It is now time to give them a seat at the table,” Escudero said as he recommended to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Committee on Finance, to invite local chief executives to the hearings.

Escudero noted that officials from national departments and bureaus routinely appear before the Senate to defend their proposed appropriations, but the local leaders tasked with implementing many of the projects are not given the same opportunity.

“Kung mga division heads ng maliliit na bureaus ay dumadalo sa budget hearings, bakit ang mga pinuno ng mga probinsya at malalaking lungsod ay hindi?” he said.

He stressed that local government executives can help “vet and verify” whether the projects listed in the national budget truly meet the needs of their communities.

“The perspectives of leaders on the ground are invaluable in determining which projects are necessary and which are not. They can also help flag possible overpricing in the appropriations being requested,” Escudero said.

According to him, many projects have historically been included in the budget without consulting local government units, often for political reasons, leading to wasteful spending and white-elephant projects.

“Teritoryo nila ang mga ito. Kaya sila ang mas makakasagot kung kailangan nga ba talaga. Their feedback is too important to be ignored,” he added.

Escudero also proposed that the approval or endorsement of Provincial Development Councils and Regional Development Councils be required for all development projects to ensure that LGUs are informed and consulted on national government programs and activities.