PARTNERSHIP FOR TRANSPARENCY. Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman leads the launch of the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) advocacy campaign in Butuan City on Friday (Aug. 30, 2024). The campaign promotes open governance to enhance transparency and accountability among local government units, government agencies and civil society organizations in the region. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)
BUTUAN CITY – Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman led the launch of the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) advocacy campaign here on Friday, aiming to enhance transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement.
“The PH-OGP embodies the essence of open government through the unity of the people,” Pangandaman told participants from government agencies, local government units (LGUs) and civil society organizations.
Butuan City is the 11th site of the PH-OGP launch, Pangandaman noted.
“We now have LGUs from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region represented in the OGP. We are hoping for the participation of LGUs from the Caraga Region,” she said.
Pangandaman emphasized that the OGP initiative is designed to strengthen government transparency and accountability.
“In May, the Philippines was ranked first in budget transparency in Asia based on the latest open budget survey. This means the government budget is open and can be scrutinized by the public,” Pangandaman said.
The DBM's People’s Budget Series has facilitated public presentations to help citizens understand budget allocations for government programs and projects.
Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada praised the collective effort toward transparency and better governance.
“Transparency and open governance are often challenged by limited access to information, bureaucratic resistance due to fear of scrutiny, and technological barriers that can exclude marginalized communities,” Lagnada said in his speech.
He added that promoting transparency and good governance is crucial for the city’s long-term financial stability.
“Butuan today is open for partnership and business. The city is currently debt-free, with a surplus budget of around PHP5.6 billion,” the mayor said. (PNA)
