Following the success of the economic dialogue with civil society organizations (CSOs) and private sector representatives (PSRs) in Cebu, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), as chair of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), brought the dialogue in Central Luzon on September 22, 2025, on the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing in Clark, Pampanga.

 

In her opening remarks, DBM Undersecretary Margaux V. Salcedo underscored the vital role of public participation in the budget process and highlighted the DBM’s digitalization and open government initiatives to further strengthen transparency and accountability.

 

Titled “Macroeconomic Insights for National Action,” the dialogue created space for CSOs to engage with the government directly on fiscal and macroeconomic priorities—continuing the call for broader public participation raised at the 2025 OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting.

 

Through breakout sessions, participants discussed challenges, shared best practices, and offered concrete policy recommendations. These inputs were then presented in plenary and addressed by the panel of government representatives, which included DBM Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit, Department of Finance Assistant Secretary Neil Adrian Cabiles, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Undersecretary Carlos Bernardo O. Abad Santos, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Director Lara Romina E. Ganapin.

 

Organized by the DBM’s Advocacy, Capacity Development, Economic Affairs, and Stakeholder Relations Group, the Luzon leg of the dialogue reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and co-creation in policy design and implementation.

 

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