DBM partners with PCO in promoting open governance

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has partnered with the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in enhancing communication efforts and promoting the principles of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

According to DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the collaboration is in preparation for the Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) organized by the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP).

“Since President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. appointed me to lead the DBM, aligning our national fiscal policies with the principles of open government has been one of our foremost advocacies,” Pangandaman said in a press release issued Wednesday.

“Sa Bagong Pilipinas, gusto ng ating mahal na Pangulo na pagbutihin pa ang trabaho ng gobyerno para mas maayos at mas mabuting mapagsilbihan ang bawat Pilipino. Ang sagot sa hamong ito ay open governance,” she added.

(In Bagong Pilipinas, the President wants to improve the services of the government to serve Filipinos better. The answer to this is enforcing open governance.)

The DBM also established strategic partnerships with the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, Inquirer Interactive Inc., DZRH Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), and Digital Out-of-Home Philippines (DOOH PH) in this initiative.

The OGP is an international movement for openness established in 2011 wherein the Philippines was one of the eight founding governments, together with Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.

Pangandaman stressed the critical role of the media as she described them as "co-architects" in the mission to expand the reach of open government principles.

"You [the media] ensure these principles are not confined to closed rooms but are broadcast across various mediums, reaching every corner of our region. Through your lenses, through your words, we connect with the public, garner support, and most importantly, ensure accountability," she said.

The SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. (SMAC) has been designated as the official transportation service provider for the OGP-APRM, ensuring seamless mobility for delegates of the APRM.

The upcoming OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting is scheduled on February 5-7, 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. This will mark the first major regional OGP meeting in the Philippines since 2017. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KG, GMA Integrated News