2012 People’s Budget and the Budget ng Bayan website, promotes transparency

Continuing its commitment to improve and strengthen public fund management, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) today launched the 2012 People’s Budget and the Budget ng Bayan website, two DBM reform initiatives that aim to broaden the Aquino administration’s drive for transparent, accountable, and participatory budgeting.

The 2012 People’s Budget is an institutional publication that expresses the National Budget in a simpler, more accessible format. First launched in 2011, this year’s People’s Budget provides a detailed view of the Administration’s spending priorities—especially in view of the results-focused  orientation of the 2012 General Appropriations Act (GAA)—and introduces the reader to key budgeting concepts and processes.

“As it stands, the 2012 GAA is a highly technical publication that can be a daunting read for most people. The 2012 People’s Budget builds on the successes of the previous year’s version by making the language even more accessible to the public. We also included richer infographics and illustrations to complement the text and make the publication more engaging for the ordinary reader,” Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.

Abad added that the 2012 People’s Budget is currently being translated into Tagalog and Visayan to boost accessibility to the publication.

“The Tagalog and Visayan versions of the 2012 People’s Budget will allow us to reach out to more Filipinos, especially in the provinces. We will be distributing them once the copies are ready for release. The translations—together with the 2012 People’s Budget in English—will also be uploaded to the DBM website for easier access,” Abad said.

Meanwhile, Budget ng Bayan (www.BudgetNgBayan.com) features basic budget information and an overview of the processes that underscore the budget cycle. As the online portal of the 2012 People’s Budget, Budget ng Bayan goes beyond providing information by engaging site visitors via the Citizen’s Portal, through which users can leave feedback on the National Budget and other related matters.

“Through these initiatives, we hope to intensify public engagement and get more people involved in the budget process. Information that was available only to certain parties and individuals is now open to all, and we believe that this will go a long way in establishing a lasting tradition of accountable budgeting, one that is inclusive and heedful of the people’s needs. Hawak naming ang pera ng taumbayan, at responsibilidad naming ipaalam sa kanila kung paano at saan iginugugol ito,” Abad said.