ANTI-CORRUPTION MEASURES. Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman joins the Open Government Partnership leaders’ roundtable at the Ford Foundation in New York City on Thursday (Sept. 26, 2024, US time). Pangandaman discussed the Philippines' initiatives to further advance open government reforms, combat corruption and strengthen democracy. (Photo courtesy of DBM)
MANILA – Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has trumpeted Republic Act 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) and digitalization efforts as major anti-corruption measures of the Marcos administration.
Pangandaman discussed the Philippines’ anti-corruption and integrity-building measures during the Open Government Partnership (OGP) leaders’ roundtable held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at Ford Foundation in New York City on Thursday (US time).
Pangandaman said the NGPA is an important measure against corruption, considering that public procurement is “one of the governance aspects most prone to corruption.”
She noted that the Philippine government allots 40 to 45 percent of the annual budget to procurement undertakings.
“This law guarantees transparency through open contracting, wherein all 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,” Pangandaman said.
Pangandaman said the new procurement law also requires the disclosure of beneficial ownership 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,” she said.
The NGPA establishes several innovative procurement approaches to provide greater flexibility to procuring entities, tailored to their specific needs.
These include competitive dialogue, unsolicited offers with bid matching, direct acquisition, direct sales, and direct procurement for science, technology and innovation.
She said the efforts to digitalize transactions in the services of government also vital in stopping corruption.
She said the Marcos administration is fast-tracking the digitalization of public financial management processes.
"Through Executive Order No. 29, the President has ordered the full adoption of the Integrated Financial Management Information System to ensure the timely and efficient management of public funds. This will enable us to not only foster bureaucratic efficiency but also eradicate corruption as it covers all instrumentalities of the national government,” Pangandaman said.
Pangandaman said that the Philippines ranked first in Asia in budget transparency based on the 2023 Open Budget Survey and sixth in the world for budget oversight.
The roundtable, led by OGP chief executive officer Sanjhay Pradhan and moderated by New Zealand's OGP ambassador Helen Clark, was organized to discuss initiatives aimed at further advancing open government reforms within the UNGA member states and at the international level in an effort to build trust and strengthen democracies.
With the theme “The Future is Open: Enhancing Cooperation and Driving Ambitious Reforms Through Open Government," the OGP roundtable was attended by representatives from OGP member countries around the world. (PNA)
