The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 7407 or An Act Institutionalizing Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Participation in the Preparation and Authorization Process of the Annual National Budget, Providing Effective Mechanisms Therefore, and for Other Purposes on third reading with 200 votes in favor, 6 votes against, and 0 abstentions.

Before being referred to the plenary, the bill was debated and passed by the Committee on People’s Participation, chaired by Representative Florida “Rida” P. Robes. 

Robes, who authored HB 7407, was delighted at the bill’s passage and expressed hope that the Senate will approve the bill. 

“I am hopeful that the counterpart bill in the Senate will get passed soon because it is the aim of the present administration to ensure transparency and accountability in crafting the annual budget. This will provide a mechanism to make sure that people’s organizations participate in the process and give them a voice on how public funds should be spent. This is a giant step towards ensuring that the budget we pass in Congress is not only transparent, accountable but also inclusive and responsive to the needs of the people,” Robes said. 

Under the proposed bill, civil society organizations that want to participate in budget preparation and deliberations will be accredited. They will be given the same rights as NGOs in local development councils to participate in the budget formulation of government agencies, including constitutional bodies and government-owned and controlled corporations.

Also, they will be able to participate in budget deliberations in Congress as resource persons. Any government officer who prevents a CSO from participating in the process shall face a one- to six-month suspension, as well as a fine ranging from P30,000 to P100,000, or both.

Photo by: Facebook/HouseofRepsPH