DBM Press Release
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Chairperson Amenah F. Pangandaman (Sec. Mina) joined children and youth participants and government and non-government leaders for a dialogue titled, “Making Spaces: Children Driving Change for Open Government,” held at the Open Gov Week on May 22, 2025, in Quezon City.
Co-organized by the DBM, the European Union, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), and the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN), the session provided a platform for children and youth to provide government officials valuable insights on their experiences, needs, and aspirations.
“Limang taon mula ngayon, nais naming ang Pilipinas ay maging isang bansa kung saan ang bawat bata ay may access sa de-kalidad na edukasyon, nakikiisa sa mga programang nakabatay sa kanilang mga karapatan, may boses sa mga desisyong pang-komunidad, protektado at ligtas mula sa anumang panganib, at may pag-asa at pangarap para sa kanilang kinabukasan,” 11-year-old Lhord Max Rhyzen Pedrosa shared.
Sec. Mina thanked the future leaders and nation builders for speaking up and being the teachers for the day as they shared their insights on what kind of government they wish to have.
“That’s what we do at the Open Government Partnership. We listen, we include, we make sure our lines are open. Because the best way to move forward is together,” Sec. Mina said in her closing remarks, adding that “we now have a listening government.”
The Budget Chief likewise shared how the budget process works during the intergenerational dialogue, where the children asked their questions on various issues and concerns, such as bullying, access to education, and the children's role in governance, among others.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex T. Gatchalian urged the children and youth to be vocal and demand programs that address bullying and other issues from their respective Sanggunian Kabataan officials, citing Republic Act No. 10742 or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015.
CWC Undersecretary and Executive Director Angelo M. Tapales, Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Georgina Ann Hernandez-Yang, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secretary Josephine F. Cabrido-Leysa, and UNICEF Deputy Representative for Programmes Maya Faisal also joined the intergenerational dialogue.
DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara delivered a recorded message, thanking the partners and organizers for their “enduring commitment to building a more inclusive and responsive public sector.”
UNICEF Representative Mr. Behzad Noubary, DBM Undersecretary Margaux Salcedo, and DBM Assistant Secretary Diana C. Camacho-Mercado were also present during the event.
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