The House of Representatives is preparing to review the proposed ₱7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2027, with House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III committing to build on the transparency and accountability mechanisms established during last year’s budget deliberations.
Speaking after the launch of the LegisHear public consultation initiative in Isabela, Dy confirmed the chamber’s readiness to carry out its constitutional mandate once the Executive submits the proposed budget, expected before August 14.
He highlighted that the LegisHear program will allow lawmakers to gather direct community feedback nationwide to help guide funding decisions.
While formal discussions on new budget reforms have yet to take place, Dy noted that prior safeguards had already yielded positive results and assured the public that further protections would be considered.
”Wala pa naman kaming napag-uusapan, pero nakita naman natin na maayos naman, at nakita nating may reporma. Nakita rin natin na may transparency,” Dy said.
“Sa tingin ko, lalo pa nating bibigyan ng mahahalagang security measures upang matiyak na ang ating ipapasa na 2027 budget ay talagang maayos,” he added.
Recent institutional reforms introduced under Dy’s leadership include the creation of the Budget Amendments and Review Subcommittee (BARSc) and the livestreaming of bicameral committee meetings to provide full public oversight of budget discussions.
Focus on Legislative Work and Public Trust
Addressing recent public opinion polls, Speaker Dy emphasized that the House leadership remains focused on passing meaningful legislation rather than chasing popularity ratings.
“Trabaho lang kami. With or without the survey, nakita ninyo kami sa Kongreso. Nakita ninyo kaming tahimik na nagtatrabaho. Ginagawa po namin ang aming mga responsibilidad, at nakikita po namin ang aming mga priorities na dapat naming isulong sa bawat Kongreso,” he stated.
Dy expressed gratitude for the public’s confidence and reiterated that rebuilding trust in Congress remains an ongoing objective.
“Salamat. Ibig sabihin, hindi naman po kami after sa ganoong mga rating, pero salamat sa pagtitiwala. Kasi kung maaalala ninyo, noong ako ay unang na-elect, talagang ang aming pinagsusumikapan, sa suporta at tulong ng bawat miyembro, ay maibalik ang tiwala ng ating mga kababayan,” Dy shared.
“Kaya naman patuloy po kaming nagsusumikap hanggang ngayon. Alam po namin na marami pa ring pagkukulang, kaya ito ay isang bahagi na nakikita namin upang lalo pang mapaganda at mapalapit tayo, at malaman natin ang tunay na sentimyento ng ating mga kababayan para lalo pang maging maganda ang mga batas na ihahain natin para sa ating bansa,” he stressed.