DBM Secretary Calls for Transparent and Inclusive Budget Process at Multiply-Ed’s Amplify-Ed Budget Congress 2025
Multiply Ed
7/10/20251 min read
Pasig City, July 7, 2025 — Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman urged the youth and education stakeholders to take an active role in promoting transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in the budget process during her keynote speech at the Amplify-Ed Budget Congress 2025 held in Pasig City.
The event, organized by Multiply-Ed, a flagship initiative of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN), brought together youth leaders, civil society groups, and education champions to discuss how national budget policies affect the education sector and to amplify youth voices in fiscal governance.
“We can build a future where every peso truly counts for every Filipino and where corruption becomes a thing of the past,” said Secretary Pangandaman, emphasizing the importance of participatory budgeting and responsible fiscal management.
She highlighted how the Fiscal Year 2025 National Budget reinforces the government’s commitment to education, with allocations designed to support inclusive learning, digital transformation, and infrastructure development in schools. Secretary Pangandaman also underscored key reform initiatives such as the proposed New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), which aims to modernize and tighten anti-corruption safeguards in public spending.
Furthermore, she cited the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) as a crucial mechanism that ensures transparency and public participation in budget processes. These initiatives, she said, reaffirm the government’s vision for a people-centered and youth-engaged governance.
The Budget Congress also featured a panel discussion led by DBM Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew T. Balanquit of the Budget Policy and Strategy Group. Asec. Balanquit engaged with participants on how budget policies are crafted and how young advocates can influence fiscal decisions to better reflect the needs of students, teachers, and local communities.
Now on its annual run, Multiply-Ed continues to be a pioneering platform under CYAN and G-Watch that enables the youth to participate meaningfully in monitoring and shaping education budgets at the national and local levels.
Through initiatives like Amplify-Ed, young Filipinos are not only empowered to understand how public funds are allocated but are also equipped to demand better accountability and ensure that every peso invested in education truly counts.
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