To my fellow Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Steering Committee members;
Our resource persons;
To all advocates and champions of open government and good governance;
Good afternoon.
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
At the OGP Leaders Roundtable held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly last September 26 in New York, as Chairperson of the Philippines Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), I presented our country’s latest efforts towards combating corruption and strengthening integrity in government. I am proud to report that OGP CEO Sanjay Pradhan, in highlighting the examples of open government actions from various countries, cited the Philippines as a shining example of OGP for mainstreaming open government in its socioeconomic framework. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our members and partners from the National Government Agencies, the Judiciary, local governments, and especially from civil society for all your hard work and our enthusiastic collaboration that has reinforced the Philippines as a global leader in the open governance space!
This gives us a better vantage point as we embark on our new role in leading OGP in the region as the term of the Philippines as a member of the OGP Global Steering Committee, represented by yours truly, started just last October 1, presenting us with an excellent opportunity to elevate our efforts on a regional and even global scale.
But there's no time like the present and so at this first-ever ministerial-level International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security (ICWPS), let us take the opportunity to exchange views and engage in ideas for the integration of the WPS Agenda within the open government framework and vice versa. After all, our vision for transparent, accountable, and participative governance goes hand-in-hand with our aspirations for a peaceful and prosperous nation through gender-responsive approaches.
On this note, allow me to jumpstart the discussions by sharing our government’s key policies and programs that empower women and peacebuilding, reflecting our unwavering commitment to prioritizing the WPS Agenda within our national development goals.
Recognizing that WPS initiatives cannot move forward without resources and financial support, we established gender-responsive budgeting as early as 1995. We introduced “The Women’s Budget,” or the Gender and Development (GAD) Budget, which mandates all departments and agencies to allocate a minimum of five percent of their budgets for gender programs, projects, and activities.
This was further operationalized and translated into meaningful and targeted outcomes through the enactment of the Magna Carta of Women of 2009, the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan 2019 to 2025, and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. These strategic documents ensure that the WPS Agenda will get the right support, financing, and prioritization it deserves.
We also take pride in the fact that the Philippines is the first Asian country to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) on WPS in 2010 and one of only two ASEAN countries among the 103 countries that have developed their respective National Action Plan on WPS. It is now in its fourth iteration, emphasizing the importance of civil society and government collaboration, acknowledging women's intersecting identities, and addressing emerging issues like digital peace, climate change, and cybersecurity.
Anchored on these legal frameworks, we have been working tirelessly to implement actionable strategies and integrate gender perspectives into our government programs and services.
Towards women empowerment, our programs under the proposed FY 2025 National Budget are built on the principle that enabling women to be leaders in peace and security begins by nurturing their capabilities through economic support, education, health, and climate crisis protection.
We ensure that women have access to financial resources to protect the welfare of their families through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and that they have access to capacity-building opportunities through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) to increase their entrepreneurial skills and income-generating capabilities.
In addition, through the People’s Survival Fund, we are also able to incorporate gender-responsive measures into our climate action programs, including climate finance, which will help improve the climate resilience of communities and promote inclusive growth.
Towards peace and security, we ensure that resources will be available to materialize our vision of a thriving Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)—where we had previously experienced decades of armed conflict—and a Mindanao that shines as the land of promise through the Normalization Program, the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program, and the establishment of the Marawi Compensation Board, among others.
These are just some of the significant strides we have taken towards empowering women and achieving peace in our socioeconomic development agenda.
Lest we forget, the WPS Agenda will never be complete without the integration of children and youth sectors in the narrative and initiatives. This has been made clear by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and often repeated throughout the conference: women and children are the most affected and displaced by conflicts, and so policies to protect them should be given primordial importance.
Now, we are eager to listen to and learn from our speakers and panelists, which includes a youth advocate from Mindanao, and even our audience from different fields and different countries on the paths you are taking towards a gender-equitable, inclusive, and transparent government.
May our diverse voices—filled with insights from our different experiences, cultures, and communities—come together so that we may speak with one voice—whether you are from government, from the Judiciary or from civil society—as we pursue gender equality, global security and lasting peace.
Thank you very much.
Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
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