To Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano;

Ms. Marian Orayani of the Association of Metro Manila Budget Officers, Inc.;

DBM-NCR Director Ruby Muro and Assistant Director Joseph Cicero Sy;

Our PFM practitioners and participants from the National Capital Region;

Magandang araw po sa ating lahat! Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

I am glad to be with all of you today, although virtually, for the last day of our Public Financial Management Competency Program (PFMCP).

As you may know, our ultimate goal in PFMCP is to promote good governance, financial accountability, and effective resource management in your respective localities. That is why, in the past few days, our top-caliber subject matter experts walked you through the seven foundation courses.

I am also excited that you are now learning more about the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), which was just signed into law last July 20.

Unang araw ko pa lang po bilang Budget Secretary, top priority ko na po itong NGPA dahil isa ito sa mga susi sa pagsugpo sa korapsyon sa gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng digitalized, efficient, mas mabilis, at mas madaling maintidihan na procurement system.

Isipin n’yo, with the NGPA, pwedeng mag-add to cart na lang! We will establish an e-marketplace where agencies can procure common-use supplies and equipment directly from competent and reputable suppliers.

At transparent din ito! Because we will also open the procurement process to citizen participation and allow the public to observe in procurement proceedings—true to the spirit of the Philippine Open Government Partnership!

In line with our commitment to open government, I am also happy to share that we are number one not only in Southeast Asia but in the whole of Asia in budget transparency.

Alongside our procurement and OGP wins, we have also ramped up our digital transformation, resulting in the full adoption of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), with the Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS) as the centralized database for all government financial operations.

Just last week, we officially endorsed to the President the PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024 to 2028, a comprehensive blueprint that will harmonize PFM policies across agencies and fully digitalize our PFM processes.

The PFM Roadmap is guided by eleven (11) strategic focus areas, including capacity building.

More importantly, we already submitted the proposed Php 6.352 trillion National Budget for FY 2025 to Congress, which is now undergoing deliberations.

Under this budget, no less than some Php 1.184 trillion^[1] has been allocated to our Local Government Units. Of this amount, Php 857.9 billion^[2] is allotted for the National Capital Region. On top of this, NCR will also receive some Php 62.3 billion^[3] from the LGUs’ FY 2025 National Tax Allotment, higher by 18.7 percent from this year.

We also want all our LGUs to help us develop a green economy. Hence, we will support local governments in building open spaces and infrastructure that promote active mobility through the Green Green Green Program with Php 1.0 billion.

So I hope that all of your budgets will be fully utilized para naman mas makita pa po natin ang kagandahan ng Bagong Pilipinas dito sa NCR at sa bawat LGU.

Dahil ‘yan ang Bagong Pilipinas—may gobyernong tunay na nagtatrabaho para sa mas maginhawang buhay ng bawat Pilipino.

Mabuhay po ang Taguig City at ang National Capital Region! Mabuhay ang Pilipino at ang Bagong Pilipinas!

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

END

^[1] FY 2025 BESF Table B7

^[2] FY 2025 BESF Table B6c

^[3] Local Budget Memorandum No. 90 s. 2024

To Open Government Partnership (OGP) CEO Sanjhay Pradhan;  

Ford Foundation Vice President for International Programs Martin Abregu;  

OGP Ambassador Helen Clark; 

Congratulations, and thank you very much for your support, help, and guidance. 

Fellow OGP leaders; 

Good morning. Magandang umaga po.  

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh. 

From the onset, our Philippine economic team has focused not just on economic growth but on economic transformation, hence our economic framework called the Philippine Development Plan specifically identifies (1) bolstered public accountability and integrity and (2) deepened participatory governance as part of our Strategic Framework to achieve our Agenda for Prosperity. 

Towards public accountability and integrity, we have taken steps to intensify information transparency and access. With focused determination, we improved our ratings in the Open Budget Index: the Philippines is now No. 1 in Asia in budget transparency based on the 2023 Open Budget Survey. We likewise ranked sixth in the world for budget oversight, as our Commission on Audit institutionalized and mainstreamed the Citizens Participatory Audit technique—a commitment conceived under the previous National Action Plans and awarded by the Open Government Partnership. 

Towards deepening participatory governance, within just a year into office, we institutionalized the Open Government Partnership through an Executive Order signed by our President last June 2023. This was a historic win that will ensure that open government values are embedded in government policies and programs across all branches of government including our Local Government Units (LGUs). 

We have likewise just submitted our Public Financial Management Reforms Roadmap to the President, which identifies Public Procurement as well as Monitoring and Evaluation for Public Expenditures, among others, as Strategic Focus Areas which I believe will not just improve processes but drive profound transformation in how we manage public resources to ensure better service delivery and achieve national development. 

To strengthen our PFM systems, we will implement the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), which will not only foster bureaucratic efficiency through the timely and efficient management of public funds across national government agencies and instrumentalities but will also eliminate corruption through use of digitalization. 

Our New Government Procurement Act or NGPA (Republic Act No. 12009) was also signed into law last July—less than a year since I announced at the OGP Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia that we would pursue procurement reform. We consider this as an important anti-corruption measure as public procurement is one of the governance aspects most prone to corruption, especially since 40 to 45 percent of our annual budget is logged to procurement.  

This law guarantees transparency through open contracting, wherein stakeholders will have access to procurement information and observers from the private sector and civil society will be invited to participate in all levels of procurement proceedings. 

The NGPA also requires bidders to disclose beneficial ownership information to identify the ultimate owner and prevent collusion in public procurement. 

It likewise specifies measures to hold public officials accountable and imposes penalties for non-disclosure and false entries on beneficial ownership information. 

These are just some of our landmark reforms that we have pursued reflecting our overriding commitment to having an accountable, inclusive, and open government. And we are determined to continue to pursue these reforms using a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach to ultimately achieve inclusive and sustainable economic transformation in fulfillment of our Agenda for Prosperity. 

Thank you.  

END 

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. 

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh. 

The Department of Budget and Management is committed to ensuring that our National Budget not only propels growth but also addresses climate change. Hence, we have been applying Climate Change Expenditures Tagging since 2015.  

And aligned with the strategic priorities set by the National Climate Change Action Plan 2011-2028, climate-responsive expenditures have been progressively increasing for the past 10 years by an average of 32.5 percent. In fact, for next year's National Expenditure Program, this is increasing by 123 percent to a remarkable USD 17.9 billion.  

Among the programs, we have Risk Resiliency Program and the Green Green Green Program to encourage greener cities across the nation. We have also integrated strong climate dimensions and environmental standards as non-negotiable pre-conditions for public investment projects, including those funded by public-private partnerships or the PPP, to attract green investments and create green jobs.  

Finally, we now have the green public procurement strategy through our New Government Procurement Act (NGPA).  

As you can see, sustainability is key in our Agenda for Prosperity. This is our commitment to the Filipino people, including and especially the future generations.   

Thank you very much.  

To the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Chairman Atty. Pete Maniego, Jr.; 

ASEAN Business Leaders; 

Board of Directors and Officers from publicly listed and government-owned and controlled corporations, financial institutions, insurance companies, medium-sized enterprises, and non-profit organizations; 

And to all our champions and advocates of good governance; 

Good afternoon. 

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh. 

First of all, happy 25th anniversary to the Institute of Corporate Directors! Thank you for advocating and instituting global corporate governance standards for the past 25 years.  

Also, allow me to express my gratitude for this opportunity to be part of your first-ever ICD Global Governance Summit. It is an honor to discuss and advance the practice of good governance with esteemed leaders, experts, and stakeholders. 

Aligned with the theme, “Leading the Future, Strengthening Unity,” the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) assures you of our commitment to leading the Philippines into a better future by enhancing transparency and building trust in the Government.  

As the department responsible for ensuring the efficient and sound utilization of public funds—or the Filipino people’s budget—DBM aims to be a beacon of integrity in government. 

In fact, we have secured the top spot for budget transparency not just in Southeast Asia but in the whole of Asia based on the 2023 Open Budget Survey results. This is because of our timely and comprehensive publication of all key budget documents that are open for public review and scrutiny. 

And in affirmation of our commitment to a transparent and trustworthy government, I am very proud to share that the Philippines is one of the eight founding members of the Open Government Partnership (OGP)—a multilateral initiative that promotes transparency, empowers citizens, fights corruption, and harnesses new technologies to strengthen governance.  

In 2023, we institutionalized the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) through Executive Order No. 31, and have since achieved several milestones in open governance. 

First, we produced the 6th PH-OGP National Action Plan (NAP), the country’s first-ever medium-term action plan on open government. 

We also launched the OGPinas!, our flagship nationwide advocacy campaign to strengthen public participation, reaching even the country’s farthest regions. But more than an advocacy campaign, we are actively practicing this by integrating public participation in our budget process through the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting. This will provide 75 municipalities nationwide with access to safely managed and resilient water supply and sanitation services, including climate-smart evacuation centers. 

Our efforts toward public participation have been further strengthened with the enactment of the New Government Procurement Act, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law on July 20, 2024. This law marks a significant milestone in our vision to modernize the procurement system, increase the participation of the private sector and civil society at all levels of the procurement process, and combat corruption towards a more transparent, accountable, and efficient bureaucracy.  

This is reinforced by our digitalization efforts. Just recently, we endorsed to the President the Public Financial Management (PFM) Reforms Roadmap, our blueprint for modernizing and harmonizing our PFM system.  

Amid these accomplishments, we were entrusted with an even bigger responsibility, as the Philippines—represented by yours truly—was elected as a new member of the OGP Steering Committee, joining countries such as Brazil, Estonia, Morocco, and the United Kingdom.  

But wait, there’s more! The Philippines has also been chosen to host the OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting in 2025! We hope that you will give us your full support for this gathering of OGP member nations in the region. 

All these are a testament to our steadfast commitment to the OGP principles of transparency, accountability, and public participation in government. And these will only drive us forward to achieve even greater heights for a better and brighter future.  

To all the champions of good and open governance, I am grateful for your support in advancing a transparent and trustworthy government. Let us all keep in mind our shared aspiration for a good government where the people are involved, heard, and empowered.  

Thank you again and congratulations, ICD!  

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

END