Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has urged local government units (LGUs) to embrace open governance and join the Open Government Partnership (OGP) program.
At the recent 2025 OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting Opening Plenary in Taguig City, Pangandaman reiterated the Philippinesโ commitment to the OGP principles of transparency, accountability, and civil society participation.
Pangandaman, who also serves as OGP-Philippines chairperson, said: โWe donโt want to take a step back; we want our fellow Cabinet members to really embrace the spirit and commitment of open government,โ she stressed, and urged LGUs to join the OGP, noting that while five municipalities are already members, over 1,000 others can benefit from participation in the program.
Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Larena town in Siquijor, Quezon City, and Baguio City joined the OGP in 2024, alongside South Cotabato (2018) and Borongan, Samar (2020).
Pangandaman also expressed hope the OGP principles would soon be reflected in the national budgeting process. โHopefully, weโll be able to include this in our convergence budgeting program. We are in the transition stage, and maybe in our next budget cycle, we will be able to tag all the programs and projects that are part of our OGP commitments,โ she added.
She also called on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to join the OGP community.
โMaybe, we can also ask the central bank to be part of our conversation and the OGP family.โ
The Philippines hosts the 2025 OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting, gathering over 800 government representatives and civil society leaders from across the region. The Philippines is one of the eight founding countries of the OGP, alongside with Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
