To our partners from the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Support Unit;  

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juan Victor “Jonvic” Remulla;  

Procurement Service-DBM Executive Director Atty. Genmaries Entredicho-Caong; 

Local Chief Executives in the OGP Local Program and Open Government Challenge;  

Members of the Philippine OGP (PH-OGP) Steering Committee;   

And to all my fellow public servants and champions of open government and good governance: 

A pleasant morning to everyone! 

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh. 

It is my honor to officially welcome you all to this year’s Open Gov Week!  

We are grateful to each and every one of you for joining us in this journey to promote transparent, accountable, inclusive, and participatory governance to uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos.  

This event could not have come at a better time, as it takes place just a week after our National and Local Elections—a fitting reminder that serving our nation does not end after the campaign, and participation in governance does not end with casting of one’s votes.  

According to the Democracy Index 2024, only 45 percent of the world’s population lives in a democracy, 39 percent are under authoritarian rule, and 15 percent are under electoral democracy with authoritarian tendencies.  

At a time when many still endure oppression from their governments, living in a democratic country becomes not just a privilege but a responsibility to ensure that democracy remains strong, resilient, and accessible for future generations.  

We must safeguard the values of democracy that embody the power of the people: freedom of speech, public participation, and equality, among others. And we must do this not only for our country but also as a member of the community of nations, to be a shining example to those around the world who are still fighting for their voices to be heard and their rights to be recognized and respected.  

Indeed, we have our work cut out for us, but this Open Gov Week, we are reminded that we don’t have to face the world’s most pressing problems alone.  

We stand together with the rest of the world to celebrate, inspire, and energize the movement, recognizing that it is only through global collaboration that we can effectively address the challenges we face. And I am proud to share that even before Open Gov Week, we have consistently demonstrated our commitment to fostering collective action. 

In February, the Philippines successfully convened over a thousand participants for the 2025 OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting. This event strengthened regional cooperation to promote the Open Government Agenda and reaffirmed the Philippines' growing leadership as a member of the OGP Global Steering Committee. 

If I may just share, during this Administration, when we started conducting OGP Week annually, we started in a very small room. Now, I am really happy to have all of you here. I think we have more than a hundred participants from different sectors. We have the civil society, national government, local government units, and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).  

We just started in a very small room in 2022, during the PBBM Administration. So, we are very happy that everyone is taking part. You have become part of the fold of the Open Government Partnership. We’re just happy that nandito kayo lahat ngayon, nakikisama po tayo, at naiintindihan ninyo po kung gaano po ka-importante ang pagkakaroon ng isang bukas na pamamahala sa ating gobyerno.  

I am also proud to share with you that the Government of the Philippines has recently been appointed as the lead of the Programmatic Delivery Subcommittee (PDS) of the OGP. This subcommittee plays a vital role in providing strategic oversight on how OGP advances reforms across key thematic areas—ranging from anti-corruption to civic space and digital governance. 

As lead, the Philippines will closely work with the OGP Support Unit to help scale thematic ambitions across the Partnership, support global advocacy efforts, and recommend the establishment of task forces to deepen reform outcomes.  

This leadership role reflects the Philippines’ growing influence in the international OGP community and our continued commitment to shaping and driving the global Open Government Agenda.  

As a testament to this, our country submitted the highest number of entries in Asia and the Pacific for the Open Gov Challenge. Palakpakan po natin ang bansang Pilipinas! This is a clear reflection of the commitment of our national and local governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and partners in addressing governance challenges head-on. 

Building on this momentum, we hosted the East Asia and the Pacific International Public Procurement Conference in April. This landmark event brought together procurement experts and champions to uphold public procurement systems rooted in the principles of good and open governance.  

In the same month, we conducted a series of roundtable discussions with the government, CSOs, academe, and private sector to advance the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill in the 20th Congress. With the steadfast support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., I am confident that we will soon pass our very own FOI law. 

Meanwhile, I am proud to note that 88 local government units (LGUs) have enacted their own FOI ordinances, demonstrating the power of local governments in driving change in our communities. Palakpakan po natin! 

In line with this, we are thrilled to have the OGP Local Program members today who have just launched their Local Action Plans! Their leadership is a powerful reminder that open governance is most impactful when it is local, inclusive, and people-centered. Congratulations and thank you to our local government units and all our commitment holders for embracing the challenge!  

These are just a few of our accomplishments and milestones in making open government a reality for our citizens.  

As we kick off this year’s celebration, let us remember that open government is more than just a concept or a campaign; it is a movement. It is the cornerstone of our Bagong Pilipinas—a nation that thrives through transparent governance, accountable leadership, and active citizen participation. 

Maraming salamat po, and I wish everyone a meaningful and inspiring Open Gov Week 2025! 

Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.   

END