Registration area of the Town Hall Meeting for People’s Budget Review with Civil Society Organizations hosted by the 20th Congress.
House Appropriations Committee convene with CSOs to strengthen transparency and citizen participation in the 2026 National Expenditure Program
August 28, 2025 – BITAG Media Unlimited Inc. (BMUI), a public affairs media organization, joins other twenty (20) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that participated in a Town Hall Meeting hosted by the House of Representatives. An Interim Guidelines on People’s Organizations’ engagement in the National Government Budget Legislation and Oversight was cascaded. The gathering marked a milestone in the 20th Congress’s push for a more transparent, participatory, and inclusive budget process. On his welcome remarks, Bataan 2nd District Representative and House Appropriations Committee Senior Vice Chairperson Rep. Albert Garcia said that Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) make their work as legislators more grounded and accountable.
“Civil Society Organizations are our partners in governance, helping us identify gaps on the ground, advocating for reforms, and ensuring that the budget addresses issues that matter most – education, healthcare, livelihood, climate resilience, and local development,” Rep. Garcia noted.
Followed with a keynote address, Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative and House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing framed the gathering as a critical step toward a stronger, more open budget process where every peso reflects the labor of the Filipino people. “Our commitment is firm, in this budget and in the years to come we are bringing the Filipino back in the center of the budget process where they rightfully belong. Ang bawat piso ng budget na ito ay galing sa dugo at pawis ng mga Pilipino, ” Rep. Suansing stressed.
Registration area of the Town Hall Meeting for People’s Budget Review with Civil Society Organizations hosted by the 20th Congress.
Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, the House Committee Appropriations Chairperson and Representative from Nueva Ecija’s 1st District, is joined by senior vice chairperson Rep. Albert Garcia, representing Bataan’s 2nd District.
For 23 years, BITAG has served not only as an investigative television program but also as a watchdog committed to combating crime, corruption, abuse, exploitation, fraud, and negligence. BMUI President and CEO Ben Tulfo, welcomes this opportunity to collaborate with the lawmakers ensuring that the voices of ordinary Filipinos are heard and reflected in the budget priorities and oversight.
“It’s a good move that the 20th Congress opened its door for people’s participation and that is transparency – the right of people to know. And we at BITAG Media Unlimited Incorporated (BMUI) alongside with ipaBITAGmo Inc. a registered non – government organization (NGO), we avail of that opportunity to become one of the participants, representing the people as part of the 4th estate. It’s an honor for us to be part of this people’s participation because our primary job is to seek the truth and tell the truth for the people.”
BMUI Representative Ms. Charmaine Mateo was interviewed by Congress TV, emphasizing that the public has an unwavering right to be informed about how government funds are allocated and managed.
Representatives Ms. Charmaine Mateo, the Vice President for External, Policy, and Legal Affairs, and Mr. Janzen Alec Lopez, the Media Relations Officer, with Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, the Chairperson of the House Committee Appropriations.
