The House of Representatives is out to accomplish two things as it begins to tackle the P7.2-trillion 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) or proposed national budget on Monday, Aug. 17.

One, to approve next year's spending plan in a timely and transparent manner; and second, to do so while performing its task as prosecutor in Vice President Sara Duterte's ongoing Senate impeachment trial.

The NEP deliberations will begin Monday with a briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the sources of financing, expenditure levels and the budget proposals of departments, agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).

The DBCC is composed of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM); Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev); Department of Finance (DOF); and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Monday will also be day 16 of Vice President Duterte's impeachment trial, wherein prosecutors aim to convict the respondent and remove her from office, as well as have her perpetually disqualified from seeking an elective post.

It was the House of Representatives, through the Committee on Justice chaired by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro, that prepared the four articles of impeachment against Duterte based on the four impeachment impeachment complaints filed against her this year.

Over at the Committee on Appropriations, its chairperson, Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela "Mika" Suansing planned a quick turnaround for the start of the NEP discussions.

It was only last Aug. 11 when DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon submitted the budget proposal to the House of Representatives. The outlay was presented to House officials led by Speaker Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino "Bojie" Dy III and Majority Leader Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos.

On Tuesday, Aug, 18, the appropriations panel will be briefed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

According to the DBM, the agencies and sectors with the largest allocations in the proposed 2027 budget are the following: Department of Education (DepEd), P976 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), P644 billion (including over P100 billion for flood control); Health Sector, P353.8 billion (Department of Health [DOH] and PhilHealth combined); Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), P332.5 billion; Department of National Defense (DND), P328.8 billion; Transport Sector, P302.2 billion; Agriculture Sector: P261.7 billion, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), P241.6 billion; State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), P176.5 billion; and Judiciary, P86.3 billion.

Former deputy speaker, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. underscored that the House leadership has committed to make the budget process transparent.

“Wala dapat sekreto sa budget. Kailangan malaman ng taong bayan lahat ng bagay na yan,” he said.

(There should be no secrets in the budget. The people need to know everything about it.)

“Nagpapalamat ako sa leadership ng House of Representatives na ginagawa naming transparent ang deliberations. Kailangang malaman ng taong bayan kung saan napupunta 'yung budget ng gobyerno sapagkat 'yan ay pera ng mga nagbabayad ng buwis,” he added.

(I thank the leadership of the House of Representatives for making our deliberations transparent. The people must know where the government’s budget goes because that is the money of the taxpayers.)

Abante expressed confidence that the conduct of the impeachment trial won't derail the House’s deliberations on the 2027 NEP--the largest in history.

“Palagay ko hindi naman [maaapektuhan] sapagkat nakita naman natin… four hours lang naman ang impeachment court. Sa umaga nagsisimula, three o’clock deliberation na ‘yan eh, so I don’t think maapektuhan,” Abante said.

(I don’t think [it will be affected], because as we’ve seen, the impeachment court only runs for four hours. It starts in the morning and by three o’clock deliberations are already happening, so I don’t think it will be affected),” Abante said.

Impeachment hearings only take place from Monday to Wednesday.

Suansing earlier bared a 53-day timetable for the passage of the eventual House General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on third and final reading.

Abante said that if the Senate and the House pass different versions of the 2027 GAB, a Bicameral Conference Committee will be convened to reconcile the versions.

“After that it will go to the President for his signature. Kapag 'yan ay pinirmahan ng Pangulo, 'yan ay magiging General Appropriations Act or law (Once it is signed by the President, it becomes the GAA or law). That would become the national budget,” he noted.

Meanwhile, deputy minority leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio called for "true transparency" in the 2027 budget process, even as he slammed last year's livestreaming of the bicam hearings as "perfomative".

"We need true transparency in the budget process, not the same spectacle that the President himself announced last year," Tinio said on Sunday, Aug. 16.

The Makabayan lawmaker pointed out that the unprecedented livestreaming of the bicam deliberations for the 2026 budget in December last year was undertaken after it was exposed that funds inserted at the bicam level funded questionable items, including anomalous flood control projects.

"That livestream was nothing but damage control. Pakitang-tao lang (it was just for show). Yet, it was the President himself who made the announcement," Tinio added.

"The Marcos administration cannot hide behind performative transparency while perpetuating the same corrupt budgetary practices that have robbed the people of genuine public services and development. True transparency demands the dismantling of all pork barrel mechanisms, not just cameras in the bicam," he concluded.