Kris Danielle Suarez
ABS-CBNNews.com
November 24, 2010

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Senate has started the live streaming of select sessions on the internet on Wednesday.

The public can now view selected plenary proceedings, as well as hearings and meetings of Senate committees, via the upper chamber’s official website, www.senate.gov.ph.

The first Senate proceedings to be broadcast were the budget proceedings for the Education, Science and Technology, Environment, Local Government, and Finance Departments, as well as the budget hearings for the state colleges and universities (SUCs), the Joint Legislative-Executive Council, and the National Economic and Development Authority.

“Opening public proceedings to new media of late has become a vital source of interaction not only in the country but in other countries’ government as well,” Senator Francis Pangilinan said in a press statement.

“Our aim is to provide the public in general accurate information, transparency and accountability of legislators in the proceedings in the Senate. This is also aligned with the goals of the Aquino administration of having the public participate in governance,” Pangilinan said.

He also said that the live streaming of sessions will also be “educational,” noting that the public can “judge for themselves” how senators are doing their jobs.

The Senate adopted Resolution No. 53, which called for the live streaming of selected Senate proceedings, back in September.

Pangilinan was the principal author of the measure.

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