12/08/2026
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ | ๐ฆ๐ช๐ฃ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐. ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
As Congress prepares to deliberate on the PHP 7.2 trillion 2027 national budget, budget watchdog Social Watch Philippines (SWP) has relaunched its youth network to engage young Filipinos in monitoring government spending and pushing for greater accountability in public policy, in time with the .
The reactivated group, Kabataan Para sa Kaban at Bayan (KBB), is composed of an initial group of 28 young advocates with backgrounds in economics, public policy, journalism, and digital media. The network aims to scrutinize national and local budgets and help translate complex budget and policy issues into accessible information for the public.
โWe witnessed blatant budget corruption and industry interference in policymaking last year. Now, with the proposed โฑ7.2 trillion 2027 national budget, 6% higher than the โฑ6.793 trillion 2026 budget, the stakes are even higher. Without vigilant public oversight, our funds and policies risk being diverted toward short-term political interests instead of long-term social development, โ said SWP Co-convenor Dr. Ma. Victoria Raquiza.
She noted that despite the countryโs more than 31 million young people, youth remain largely excluded from meaningful participation in budget and policy discussions that shape their future.
โThrough KBB, young people are given space to speak out against corruption and propose practical solutions to improve governance,โ Raquiza added.
Beyond general budget monitoring, the youth network will focus on tracking government funding and policies related to mental health, to***co control, and the protection of children from sexual abuse. These are the programs that SWP has previously flagged as persistently underfunded.
Newly appointed SWP youth leader Bianca Carreon said the initiative allows young Filipinos to use their skills to demand transparency and accountability from the government.
โJoining the SWP youth is about wanting to do something bigger than myself. It pushes us to engage with real-world issues and use our talents to serve the country,โ Carreon said.
The relaunch was welcomed by Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Elijah San Fernando, an alumnus of the SWP youth network, who credited his early involvement in budget and policy advocacy for shaping his work in Congress. He cited youth-led campaigns such as โTax To***co to the Maxโ as instrumental in securing funding for Universal Health Care.
The KBB plans to engage lawmakers, conduct public awareness campaigns, and mobilize young Filipinos to push for youth-centered budgets and policies.
