Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman renewed her appeal to lawmakers to pass the long-delayed Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, highlighting its importance in advancing transparency and public participation in government.
At the closing ceremony of Open Government Week held Friday at the Luxent Hotel in Quezon City, Pangandaman called on the 20th Congress to prioritize the FOI measure, which seeks to give citizens greater access to public information.
“Access to information is crucial in attaining the open government agenda,” she said.
“We are proud that the Philippines has not only cemented its position as the most fiscally transparent country in Asia, based on latest Open Budget Survey, but has also drastically improved its standing in the World Press Freedom Index 2025,” Pangandaman added.
“However, the fact remains that we have yet to pass an enabling law that will truly uphold people’s constitutional right to information. That is why I am calling on everyone present here tonight to make our clamor for the passage of a law on right of access to information in the 20th Congress even louder and clearer.”
While Congress has yet to enact a national FOI law, she noted that 88 local government units have passed ordinances ensuring citizens’ access to public data—a practice she hopes more LGUs will adopt.
“We need more champions of transparency at the local level,” she said.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has conducted roundtable discussions with stakeholders to refine the FOI bill. Together with the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the DBM is finalizing the bill’s key provisions, which will be presented during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on May 26.
Pangandaman emphasized the government’s ongoing efforts to institutionalize transparency through reforms such as the New Government Procurement Act and the Public Financial Management Reforms Roadmap 2024–2028.
She said Open Government Week has been instrumental in strengthening dialogue with civil society groups to support the Marcos administration’s fiscal and macroeconomic goals.
“As we mark the end of this year’s Open Gov Week, we come together, not only to check on our progress but to honor the partnerships that continue to shape our collective journey toward a truly open government,” Pangandaman said.
“Since the inception and institutionalization of the Philippine Open Government Partnership under the leadership of no less than President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we have moved steadily from commitment to action. We’ve demonstrated that open government is not just a passing trend, it is a working principle embedded in how we plan, spend, consult, and reform.”