DBM PRESS RELEASE
New York City, USA — Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Chairperson Amenah F. Pangandaman joined ministers and civil society leaders from around the world on September 26, 2024 at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Leaders Roundtable held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The Roundtable, led by OGP CEO Sanjhay Pradhan and moderated by New Zealand's OGP ambassador Helen Clark, was organized for a discussion on initiatives to further advance open government reforms in the members' respective countries and at the international level, aimed at building trust and strengthening democracies.
Pangandaman, who was asked to speak on anti-corruption and integrity-building measures of the Philippines, championed the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) as a major anti-corruption measure under the present administration.
Open Contracting
"We consider this an important anti-corruption measure," Pangandaman said, "as public procurement is one of the governance aspects most prone to corruption, especially since we allot 40 to 45 percent of our annual budget to procurement undertakings. This law guarantees transparency through open contracting, wherein all stakeholders will have access to procurement information and observers from the private sector and civil society will be invited to participate in all levels of procurement proceedings."
Pangandaman also highlighted that the law now requires the disclosure of beneficial ownership.
"The NGPA now also requires bidders to disclose beneficial ownership information to identify the ultimate owner and prevent collusion in public procurement," she added. "It likewise specifies measures to hold public officials accountable and imposes penalties for non-disclosure and false entries on beneficial ownership information."
Digitalization
Pangandaman also discussed the digitalization efforts of the government undertaken as anti-corruption measures.
"We are also addressing corruption in government by fast-tracking the digitalization of Public Financial Management processes," Pangandaman explained. "Through Executive Order No. 29, the President has ordered the full adoption of the Integrated Financial Management Information System to ensure the timely and efficient management of public funds. This will enable us to not only foster bureaucratic efficiency but also eradicate corruption as it covers all instrumentalities of the national government."
Towards budget transparency, Pangandaman noted that the Philippines is now No. 1 in Asia in budget transparency based on the 2023 Open Budget Survey and sixth in the world for budget oversight.
With the theme, “The Future is Open: Enhancing Cooperation and Driving Ambitious Reforms Through Open Government," the OGP Roundtable was attended by representatives from OGP member countries around the world, including its newest member Maldives. The meeting was held at the Ford Foundation in New York City.
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