As preparations for the 2026 national budget begin, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Win Gatchalian has shared the Senate’s plans for implementing the budget in light of the issues arising from the 2025 budget.
In an exclusive interview on the program Dos Por Dos, Senator Gatchalian stated that a “Golden Age of Transparency” is emerging in the Senate. This initiative will involve uploading all documents related to hearings and the passage of laws.
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“Dito sa Senado, meron nga kaming plano na gawing mas transparent pa ang proseso. Tawag nga namin dito, 'Golden Age of Transparency'.” he said.
He explained that the committee found that the documents available to the public during budget deliberations only cover the initial and final stages—specifically, the "net" and the General Appropriations Act (GAA) after its approval. However, intermediate documents, such as technical and committee reports, were not uploaded to the website.
Senator Gatchalian emphasized that the Senate is open to making these documents available in a readable format to help the public better understand and analyze the components of the budget.
He added that recording all proceedings and uploading them online is part of the reforms the Senate aims to implement during every bicameral conference committee meeting.
The Senator noted that the hearings are already being streamed live online, and the Senate is considering releasing all relevant documents, including meeting minutes and transcripts of debates, to ensure a comprehensive and transparent record is accessible to the public.
“Well ang importante, kagaya na nasabi ko, importante nakikita na ito yung takbo ng budget. Hindi lang yung dulo na," he stated.
"Kasi sa ngayon makikita mo lang yung National Expenditure Program, yung pinakaunang hakbang makikita mo yun. At makikita mo yung pinakahuling produkto na ng budget. Hindi mo makikita yung gitna. So yun ang gusto naming reporma na mangyari sa Senado, na itong mga dokumentong nasa gitna, i-upload natin.” he added.
When questioned about the alleged "code of silence" in the Senate, Gatchalian firmly denied its existence, stating that every senator has the freedom to speak, agree, or refuse participation in discussions.
“On the part of the Senate, wala namang code of silence, walang ganyan. Pwede kang magsalita, in fact, pwede kang hindi pumirma.” he said.
Additionally, Gatchalian noted that there will be close coordination regarding all project bidding and procurement processes, especially for infrastructure projects.
He assured the public that bidding will be conducted online as stipulated in the new procurement law.
