The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) co-organized this year’s Philippine Open Government Partnership - Freedom of Information (OGP-FOI) Summit on November 28 at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Ermita, Manila.

With the theme, "Placing Access to Information at the Heart of Open Governance," the OGP-FOI Summit 2018 gathered around 150 representatives from national and local governments, civil society organizations, media, and  academe, among others,  to  discuss  the  gains  and bottlenecks in championing open governance.

As one of the major programs committed to the OGP, the FOI Program advocates transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in the government.

In her keynote speech, DBM Undersecretary Laura Pascua underscored that "only when timely and accurate information are provided can the public meaningfully participate in governance."

In the evening, an awarding ceremony was also held. DBM Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno gave his keynote speech and highlighted the efforts of the budget department to advance and establish transparency, accountability, and participatory governance in government processes.

This includes Project DIME, the Budget Reform Bill, Open Government Partnership initiatives at the local level, among others.

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