Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Chairperson Amenah F. Pangandaman led the OGPinas! Open Government Nationwide Advocacy Campaign held in Butuan City on August 30, 2024, and shared her vision to have more local government units (LGUs) as part of the OGP Local Program.
“One of the fruits we hope to achieve from our OGPinas! campaign is to have more local government units involved as members of OGP themselves,” Secretary Pangandaman said, referring to the OGP Local Program which aims “to harness the innovation and momentum demonstrated by local governments and civil society partners across the world.”
The Budget Chief recognized the four LGUs from the Philippines that joined the program this year, including Baguio City, Quezon City, the Municipality of Larena in Siquijor, and Tagbilaran City.
On this note, Pangandaman invited LGUs in the Caraga Region to join the OGP Local Program: “At sa mga susunod na taon, sana mas dumami pa po ang from Mindanao and BARMM. Sana po ang Butuan City mismo ay makasali na rin.” Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente C. Lagnada was also present during the event.
Transparency, accountability
The PH-OGP Chair, who will represent the Philippines in the OGP Steering Committee beginning October 2024, shared the country’s accomplishments in terms of upholding the OGP principles of transparency and accountability.
These include the Philippines’ performance in the 2023 Open Budget Survey, in which it emerged as the most fiscally transparent country not only in Southeast Asia but also in Asia.
“Ibig sabihin po nito, ang national budget natin ay bukas at maaaring siyasatin ng publiko. Higit pa diyan, sa pamamagitan ng ating People’s Budget series, sinisikap natin na maintindihan ng lahat ang nakalaang pondo para sa mga programa at proyekto sa bawat sector ng gobyerno,” Pangandaman said.
Public participation
The Budget Chief likewise shared how PH-OGP is giving life to participatory budgeting through the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting (SAFB) which was launched by DBM and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in February.
“I am pleased to report that 75 municipalities nationwide—including the municipalities of Kitcharao and Magallanes in the province of Agusan del Norte—will receive access to safely managed and resilient water supply and sanitation services… [The SAFPB] also covers the construction of climate-smart evacuation centers,” Secretary Pangandaman shared.
The Butuan City leg of OGPinas! was joined by around 200 representatives from the academe, youth network, civil society organizations, and the media from the Caraga Region, who all pledged their commitment and support to open government.
Also present at the event were DBM Undersecretaries Margaux V. Salcedo, Wilford Will L. Wong, Goddes Hope O. Libiran, and Rolando U. Toledo who is also the PH-OGP Head Secretariat; DBM Regional Office XIII Director Maria Fe D. Jagna and Assistant Director Jenneth C. Partosa; DILG Caraga Director Maria Loisella E. Lucino and Assistant Director Engr. Donald Seronay; Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Regional Director Venus Garcia and Assistant Director Renelle Luzon Escuadro; and PH-OGP Co-Chair Ms. Aurora Reyes Chavez.
Dr. Francisco Magno from the La Salle Institute of Governance, Atty. Mabel Balanquit from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Mr. Richard L. Villacorte from the DILG, and Mr. Bryan Ezra C. Gonzales from the Caucus of Development NGO Network also served as resource speakers and moderators.
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