Toward a People’s Budget
Empowering Citizens in the Budget Process
Rolando Toledo
Director, Fiscal Planning Bureau
Philippine Department of Budget and Management
Aquino Budget Reform Agenda
Spending within means
Spending on the right priorities
Spending on measurable results
Through transparent, accountable & participatory
public expenditure management
The Budget
Process is
a Political
Process
Principles for Constructive Engagement
 Transparency
 Accountability
 Integrity
 Inclusivity
 Partnership
 Consultation and
Empowerment
 Respect for
Internal Processes
 Sustainability
 National Interest
Agency-CSO
Budget
Partnerships
 Agencies and CSOs enter into formal agreements
(BPAs), where agencies commit to engage CSOs in
crafting their agency budget proposals.
 CSOs make recommendations on agency programs &
projects that are effective & must be expanded, or are
ineffective and must be phased out.
Agency-CSO Budget Partnerships
18 agencies with BPAs with CSOs
in crafting the 2014 budget,
from 6 in the pilot stage during
2012 Budget preparation.
BPAs now also introduced
in Budget Execution Phase
Ongoing review of the BPA
process for further improvement
Grassroots Participatory Budgeting
(Bottom-Up Budgeting)
Objectives:
• Empower citizens – increase
“voice and vote” in the budget
• Make national government
more responsive to local needs
• Strengthen devolution of
public services
• Incentivize reforms in local
governance
Grassroots Participatory Budgeting
From Communities to National Budget
Local Governments
Participatory
Poverty
Reduction
Planning
Community Orgs,
Local CSOs
National Budget
Process
Grassroots Participatory Budgeting
From Pilot to Expansion
Budget Year
Amount of LocallyDeveloped Projects
Participating
Local Govts
2013 Budget
(Enacted)
2014 Budget
(Proposed)
P8.3 B
P20.1 B
(~$192 M)
(~$464 M)
595
1,226
Cities &
Municipalities
Cities &
Municipalities
Disclosure of Budget Information
All Departments must disclose
approved budgets & reports,
project details & status,
contracts awarded, etc.
Compliance has improved to
17 of 22 Departments as of
Dec ‘12, from 7 in July ’12.
Leveraging Technology for Transparency
Making the Budget Accessible to Citizens
Making the Budget Accessible to Citizens
Where are we now?
Securing Gains & Addressing Gaps
Where are we now?
Achieving Irreversibility of Reforms
Deeply install reforms
in institutions
Leverage technology
Reforms must lead to
tangible benefits to people
Strengthen constituency
for reform
Toward a People’s Budget
Empowering Citizens in the Budget Process
Rolando Toledo
Director, Fiscal Planning Bureau
Philippine Department of Budget and Management