Pre-Recorded Introduction of OGP and Message of Support 

MINDANAO OGP REGIONAL FORUM AND PROPEACE

LEARNING EXCHANGE 

To  GenSan City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao; 

South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.; 

Our dearest counterparts from the Open Government Partnership (OGP);  

Fellow members of the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Steering Committee;  

And to all the advocates and champions of open government and good governance present here today;  

Good morning. Magandang Umaga po. 

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh. 

First, allow me to thank the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Steering Committee members and representatives for organizing this transformative event which provides a platform for learning exchange, collaboration, and co-creation, sparking hope and inspiration among open government reformers in Mindanao.  

This activity is another testament to our steadfast commitment to establishing transparent, accountable, and participatory governance in the Philippines, which we pledged to accomplish as one of the eight founding members of the OGP in 2011.  

Thirteen years later, the partnership has grown to 77 countries, 106 local governments, thousands of civil society organizations, and several multilateral partners. But beyond these impressive numbers, I am proud to affirm that the Philippines remains one of the frontrunners in advancing open government not only on a national but on a regional and global scale! 

Through our firm commitment to the Open Government principles, we have laid solid foundations for our reforms. In fact, we have successfully identified having open government as a key strategy for sustainable growth in our Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, weaving OGP into our Agenda for Prosperity. 

And as Chairperson of the PH-OGP, I assured that open government would be given the prioritization and attention it deserves. I am proud to report that within a year into office, we institutionalized the PH-OGP through Executive Order No. 31, signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in June 2023. This historic win ensures that OGP values are embedded in policies and programs across all branches of government.  

In October 2023, we launched the OGPinas! Nationwide Advocacy Campaign, in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine Information Agency. In fact, its last leg for the year will happen tomorrow, November 15, in Pampanga. To date, we have conducted 14 runs of our campaign and engaged more than 4,000 Filipinos around the country in pursuit of strengthening public participation in governance. 

In December last year, we presented the country's first-ever medium-term action plan on open government. The 6th PH-OGP National Action Plan responds to the call for the sustainability of our commitments to ensure that PH-OGP will be mainstreamed in all aspects of governance through our increased localization, digitalization, and public participation efforts.  

This year, we also celebrate several accomplishments in our open government journey. 

To promote public accountability and integrity, we have enhanced transparency and access to information in the bureaucracy. With focused determination, we improved our ratings in the latest Open Budget Survey: Under the PBBM Administration, the Philippines is now No. 1 in budget transparency not only in Southeast Asia but in all of Asia.  

Ibig sabihin po, maaaring siyasatin ng publiko ang ating national budget. Higit pa diyan, sa pamamagitan ng ating People’s Budget series, mas naiintindihan ng mga Pilipino ang nakalaang pondo para sa mga programa at proyekto sa bawat sektor ng gobyerno.  

Number one din po tayo sa Southeast Asia pagdating naman sa Public Participation. Ibig sabihin, ang taumbayan, pati na mga CSO ay kasama sa pagdedesisyon ng pamahalaan.   

We are also giving life to OGP by practicing participatory budgeting. In February this year, we launched the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Through this, 75 municipalities nationwide will have access to safely managed and resilient water supply and sanitation services and climate-smart evacuation centers. But what is special about this program is the participation of CSOs in the identification of the beneficiaries. 

Our New Government Procurement Act or the NGPA (Republic Act No. 12009) was also signed into law just last July—less than a year since I announced at the OGP Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia that we will pursue procurement reform. We consider the NGPA not only a leap forward in efficiency, but also the biggest anti-corruption measure in modern times as we have designed it to ensure that all stakeholders can access procurement information. Not only that, even representatives from the private sector and civil society can now observe and participate in all procurement proceedings! 

With these reforms, our country was recognized as a global open government champion. Last September, at the OGP Leaders Roundtable, held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, OGP CEO Sanjay Pradhan himself cited the Philippines as a shining example of OGP for mainstreaming open government in its socioeconomic framework. In fact, he previously stated that the Philippines is "a country with open government in its DNA.” 

Because of this, we were entrusted with a huge responsibility and opportunity to develop, promote, and safeguard OGP’s values. The Philippines, represented by yours truly, started its term last October 1 as a member of the OGP Global Steering Committee.  

This role makes us all the more passionate and eager to show the world what we are doing for a more open government. So, at the first-ever ministerial-level International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security (ICWPS), PH-OGP led a side event to discuss the integration of the WPS Agenda into the open government framework.   

At this forum, we also proudly shared how the Bangsamoro region and Mindanao as a whole foster a more gender-responsive approach to peacebuilding. We also took the chance to highlight the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on WPS (RAPWPS) and the different projects to strengthen peace and security in the region. 

As you can see, we have a lot to celebrate in OGP, but at the same time, we are aware that we still have a long way to go. So we will work harder and take it up a notch: We will be hosting the OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting this coming February 2025. I hope to see you there, and together, let’s make this the most dynamic, fruitful, and memorable OGP Regional Summit. In Shaa Allah!   

I am happy to note that in line with this, Mindanao will have its very own OGP Mindanao Forum. Rest assured that you have our support at the PH-OGP to ensure that this forum's consultations and conversations drive real change in our communities. 

As we move forward with today's agenda, let's remember our aspiration of building a truly open government—isang Bagong Pilipinas kung saan ang mga pangarap at pangangailangan ng mamamayan ay tinutugunan ng isang gobyernong tapat sa kanyang pinaglilingkuran.  

Isigaw po natin ang OGPinas! sa Bagong Pilipinas! 

Maraming salamat po. Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu. 

END