Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Chairperson Amenah F. Pangandaman reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to upholding transparency and freedom of information (FOI) as the country reached its highest ranking in the World Press Freedom Index, climbing to the 116th spot in 2025.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Philippines improved its rankings after its score rose by 6.2 points to 49.57. Substantial improvements in the country’s media safety and legal frameworks brought it 18 spots higher from its 134th spot in 2024.
“This remarkable feat is a testament to the country’s significant strides in championing the freedom of the press, which equates to upholding the public’s Constitutional right to information,” Secretary Pangandaman said.
Transparency, FOI initiatives
The Budget Chief and PH-OGP Chairperson likewise noted that, in addition to improving its ranking in the World Press Freedom Index, the Philippines also secured the top spot for budget transparency in Asia based on the latest Open Budget Survey (OBS).
DBM regularly publishes the People’s Budget series to provide a simpler, less technical, and more accessible version of the key budget documents, which contributed significantly to the country’s OBS ranking.
Meanwhile, following the operationalization of people’s right to information through Executive Order No. 2 in 2016, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) manages the eFOI portal, which allows Filipinos to easily request the information they need from government agencies from the comfort of their homes.
Renewed calls for support
While the state of press freedom in the country continues to gain momentum, the Philippines has yet to pass an enabling law that will truly uphold the people’s constitutional right to information.
Given this, Secretary Pangandaman renews her call for support for the passage of the FOI Bill in the 20th Congress.
Since April 2025, the PH-OGP, in partnership with the PCO, has conducted a series of stakeholder consultations to identify lessons learned, revisit strategies, and chart the next steps for the FOI Bill to be a legislative priority. Participants included representatives from government, civil society, academe, and the private sector.
DBM and PCO will incorporate the results from these roundtables and harmonize the two versions of the draft FOI Bill, while also consulting international right to information (RTI) experts within the OGP network to ensure alignment with global standards and principles.
“We are grateful to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who also reaffirmed his full support for the passage of the FOI Bill, and highlighted the need to institutionalize FOI and citizens’ access to information through legislation so that they can truly participate in governance,” Secretary Pangandaman shared.
It was also during the PBBM Administration that the PH-OGP was institutionalized through Executive Order No. 31 in 2023, 12 years since the Philippines became a founding member of the OGP.
The RSF releases the World Press Freedom Index annually to analyze and compare the state of #PressFreedom among 180 countries and territories worldwide. This year’s results were released in time for the celebration of #WorldPressFreedomDay on May 3.
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