MANILA, Philippines – Handa na para sa “full blast” deliberations ang House Committee on Appropriations sa pagtalakay sa 2026 P6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP), ayon kay Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela “Mika” Suansing.
“So, on Aug. 18, all systems go full blast. We start with the DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee). And then after that, tuloy-tuloy na ‘yan,” pahayag ni Suansing, na siyang chairman ng komite.
Tuwing budget season ay karaniwang umaabot ng hanggang 10 oras ang pagdinig na isinasagawa ng Kamara.
“We have daily committee hearings all the way through the week of Sept. 16. So, even Fridays of September, we have hearings every day. The only time that we are going to take a break is during the holidays. There are three holidays in August, but apart from that, we have hearings every single day,” paliwanag ni Suansing ukol sa magiging iskedyul ng pagdinig.
Una nang tinanggal ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez ang small committee na karaniwang kinabibilangan lamang ng apat hanggang limang mambabatas na siyang nagsasagawa ng individual amendments sa naaprubahang budget.
Sa halip, pinalitan ito ng Budget Amendments Review Sub-Committee at People’s Budget Review na kada linggo ay magkakaroon ng pulong para rebyuhin ang mga naaprubahang amendments.
“Lahat po ng mga isusumiteng proposed amendments para sa linggong iyon ay didinggin po sa Budget Amendments Review Committee sa dulo ng linggo — so, every Friday,” paliwanag ni Suansing.
Samantala, ang People’s Budget Review ay kinabibilangan ng mga civil society organizations (CSOs) at public “watchdogs” na susuri din sa budget. Gail Mendoza
