House Speaker Martin Romualdez has announced intentions to tap civil society "watchdogs" beginning with the deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget, with a promise to make the process more transparent than ever to stop corruption.

“We will allow the participation of watchdogs in all levels of budget deliberation — from committee hearings to plenary sessions,” Romualdez said in his speech to start the plenary session Tuesday, July 29.

“Hindi lang natin bubuksan ang Kongreso para sa mga mamamayan na magbabantay ng badyet. Mapapanood din ang lahat ng diskusyon sa telebisyon at mga social media platforms,” he said.

(We won’t just open Congress for citizens to monitor the budget. All discussions will also be broadcast on television and social media platforms.)

Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district congressman, had earlier suggested to make the Bicameral Conference Committee hearings between the House of Representatives and the Senate on the budget measure open to the public.

But his remarks Tuesday indicate a more aggressive push for transparency on what is considered the most important piece of legislation that Congress approves every year.

“We will seek to open the bicameral budget conference to civil society observers — a historic first. Because transparency is not just a value; it is a weapon against corruption. This reform will not only earn public trust but will also strengthen inclusive and participatory governance,” the Speaker said.

Romualdez's remarks were seen as a response to President Marcos' call to confront corruption in public service during his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“We heard the President’s SONA. We take to heart his call — his frustration, even — about the lingering shadow of corruption in our institutions," he said.

“As Speaker, I share his concern. And I accept his challenge — not with defensiveness, but with determination,” added the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president, the spunk evident in his voice.

Romualdez also announced that the House will launch a comprehensive congressional review of infrastructure projects and fund implementation to identify systemic weaknesses and policy gaps.

“That is why the House of Representatives will launch a comprehensive congressional review of infrastructure projects and fund implementation."

“We will strengthen our oversight functions and conduct mid-year performance reviews of agencies. Those who delay, hoard, or waste public funds will be called out,” Romualdez said.

He said that budget allocations will no longer be automatically granted but must be performance-based. “Departments must earn their budgets — not just request them.”

The Speaker said the review will focus on “ghost projects, bloated contracts, chronic underspending, and abuse of discretion in fund realignment and procurement".

The House chief also committed to introduced legislative proposals that will institutionalize public scrutiny, real-time monitoring, and strong accountability standards across all agencies and contractors.