Advocates for transparency and the availability of information during the open forum session.
September 15, 2025 – People’s Center Building, House of Representatives
Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. (BMUI), one of the House of Representatives-accredited civil society organizations (CSOs), took a firm stand for greater government transparency and public access to information during a technical meeting with the House Task Force on People’s Participation (TFPP) and House of Representatives Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (HOR-CPBRD) on Monday.
The session, attended by representatives from 23 out of 31 accredited CSOs, focused on enhancing the role of civil society in the national budget process. Dr. Romulo Miral, Head of TFPP, opened the meeting by emphasizing the House’s commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and meaningful engagement. He acknowledged the challenges in consolidating varied CSO proposals and highlighted the need for both short- and long-term strategies to strengthen CSO-legislator collaboration.
PUSHING FOR TRUE ACCESS TO PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
During the meeting, CSO leaders identified several issues and made recommendations. These included limited involvement of local government in the initial stage of budget planning, the need to align budget proposals with the Public Investment Program, suggestions to address monopolies in public works, concerns about barriers to participation such as the marginalization of CSO questions, a call for institutionalizing CSO participation, and the importance of timely and comprehensive access to information.
During the open forum, BMUI’s representative, Ms. Charmaine Mateo and Mr. Alec Lopez, directly addressed TFPP and HOR-CPBRD, highlighting persistent challenges faced by CSOs in accessing vital government documents.
“National agencies should provide CSOs with all essential documents as part of FOI compliance,” Mateo asserted that, despite the government’s obligation under the Freedom of Information (FOI) program, CSOs often struggle to obtain complete and timely financial and performance reports necessary for meaningful participation in budget deliberations.
This view was supported by IBON Foundation Representative Mr. Jose Africa, who highlighted that online information is often incomplete, and that Freedom of Information (FOI) requests are frequently denied without sufficient explanation.
BMUI’s intervention sparked a broader discussion among CSOs present, many of whom echoed concerns about the sufficiency and accessibility of public information. The consensus was clear: without full access to agency data and briefers, CSOs cannot fully perform their watchdog role or contribute effectively to budget transparency.
CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND IMMEDIATE ACTION
BMUI’s questions were direct: “Can Congress not oblige national agencies to submit all required documents to CSOs before proceeding with budget hearings?” While Task Force representatives acknowledged the issue, citing that some financial and performance reports are already posted online, they did not provide a concrete commitment to require full compliance from all agencies.
CSOs collectively pressed for standardization and enforcement of document access, stressing that real transparency requires more than token releases of summary data.
COMMITMENT TO REFORM
In response to the collective concerns raised by BMUI and other CSOs, the TFPP and HOR-CPBRD agreed to encourage agencies to upload more comprehensive briefers, budget proposals, and performance reports online. They also committed to exploring new technology solutions, such as AI-generated transcripts, to improve information access and documentation.
Additionally, the CSO community emphasized that much work remains to institutionalize transparent, timely, and equitable access to government information. They called for ongoing dialogue and firm action to uphold the spirit and letter of the FOI program.
A SHARED COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE
The meeting closed with a reminder of the vital role CSOs play in holding government accountable, as well as an inspiring call to action from Atty. Christian Monsod, Chief Legal Panel of Task Force Mapalad: “It is not a privilege to serve; we serve because we are privileged.”
BMUI and its fellow CSOs reaffirmed their dedication to supporting more transparent, inclusive, and accountable budget deliberations in the House of Representatives.
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