Lawmakers urged to fast-track reforms as Congress reopens

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Adrian H. Halili, Reporters

ANALYSTS urge Congress to fast-track transparency reforms ahead of year-end session.

Philippine lawmakers should prioritize measures to strengthen government transparency and accountability, analysts said over the weekend, as the Marcos administration faces mounting scrutiny over a multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has rocked the Southeast Asian nation.

Congress has a key window before yearend to swiftly pass measures that could enhance transparency and help restore public trust, as the widening controversy continues to erode confidence and weigh on economic prospects, they added.

“Trust is a growth policy,” Ederson DT. Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “Clean, predictable rules are the cheapest and most effective stimulus the government can deploy right now.”

“Before yearend, Congress can still pass integrity measures, protect key social and infrastructure sectors and create a more permanent independent auditing body for flood control structures to halt repeat funding for questionable projects,” he added.

Congress will reconvene for its final session of the year this week, and House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has signaled his intent to fast-track transparency reforms as part of a broader push to improve governance. Lawmakers have six weeks to approve pending bills before Congress adjourns for the year.

Reports of subpar, incomplete or nonexistent flood control projects — allegedly executed in collusion with politicians, state engineers and private contractors — have triggered public outrage in the Philippines, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations that faces an average of 20 typhoons annually that often leave cities and provinces flooded.

Allegations of entrenched corruption in flood control projects have so far shaken business confidence and stalled state spending, denting economic growth. Philippine output slowed to a more than four-year low of 4% in the third quarter.

“We have seen how corruption not only erodes confidence but also the economy,” John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said in a Viber message. “No amount of economic policy can save us if the Philippines remains corrupt and investor confidence is eroded significantly.”

He said the third-quarter growth figure should serve as a “clear wake-up call” for lawmakers to act on governance reforms, or risk further economic uncertainty.

Mr. Tapia said the congressional resumption carries high stakes for the Marcos administration, which faces growing pressure to deliver on governance reforms.

“The stakes are institutional and political,” he said, adding that state credibility on protecting public funds is also on the line.

Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, an associate political science professor at De La Salle University in Manila, said the legislative response would be a litmus test of the administration’s commitment to reform.

“It is now a question of legacy and sustaining the issue,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “As for sustaining the issue, this would determine whether corruption remains as an issue long enough to be a topic for the 2028 elections.”

Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation should be a top priority for Mr. Dy in the House, said Hansley A. Juliano, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University.

“FoI obviously is a top priority, followed by counterpart legislation in local governments, as well as ensuring quality control at relevant offices, like the Sandiganbayan,” he said via Messenger.

Attempts to enact an FoI law in the Philippines have repeatedly faltered in Congress despite the right to information being enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.

INTEGRITY MEASURES
“The Freedom of Information bill must be passed, and along with it, a more proactive enhancement of the administrative capacity of incumbent institutions, like the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan,” Mr. Borja said.

Mr. Tapia said the House should “front-load” integrity measures, like sweeping FoI legislation and amendments to government processes on budgeting and procurement.

“Whistleblower protection, routine publication of statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, and public investment management reforms for flood control projects are also essential,” he said. “Accountability cannot live on exposés alone. It must be written into the budget and the law so transparency becomes automatic, not optional.”

Reforms to the Ease of Doing Business law should also be pursued to help boost efforts in restoring trust and attracting investors, including further support for education and innovation bills to shore up foreign investments, said Mr. Rivera.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said lawmakers should look at implementing higher environmental, social and governance standards to help align Philippine companies with global practices to improve foreign investors’ sentiment in the country.

Meanwhile, analysts called on the Senate to set aside partisanship and enhance transparency as it deliberates on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, warning that public trust hinges on how lawmakers justify spending decisions.

“It is adamant that they prove to the public that they are doing their job, and these leaders cannot afford to insist further on their partisanship,” Mr. Juliano said.

The Senate is expected to begin plenary debates on the budget starting Nov. 13. The proposed spending plan is 7.4% higher than this year’s and equivalent to 22% of economic output.

“Accountability doesn’t begin after the money is spent,” Mr. Tapia said. “It begins in the way the budget is crafted, debated and justified to the people. The real test is whether each allocation translates to performance and public value.”

Gary D. Ador Dionisio, dean of De La Salle—College of St. Benilde’s School of Diplomacy and Governance, said the Senate should ensure that the process is “transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of Filipinos.”

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the finance committee, said the budget sponsorship would begin Nov. 12, adding that the Senate might approve a version lower than the proposed National Expenditure Program.

Mr. Tapia said any cuts must protect key sectors such as health, education and infrastructure. “Fiscal discipline is good, but it must never come at the expense of social needs,” he said.

The Senate earlier vowed to weed out problematic budget insertions after the 2025 spending plan was flagged for unprogrammed appropriations. The 2026 proposal includes P250 billion in such funds, most of which are pre-planned initiatives rather than emergency contingencies.