Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (File photo)
MANILA – Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman believes that the more open the government is, the more opportunities there are to provide better public service.
She made this remark in the recently-concluded Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Fora where the DBM convened several government agencies and non-government partners to provide information on the PH-OGP process.
"At PH-OGP, we have high regard for the rigor of discourse in order for us to arrive at the wisest decision that will strengthen the collaboration between the government and the people. We believe that the more open the government is, the more opportunities we have to do better," Pangandaman said in a pre-recorded message.
She underscored how the PH-OGP contributes to strengthening public trust through government-initiated fora and the publication of reports and data for public consumption and feedback.
"DBM’s strong commitment to fiscal openness has also resulted in the establishment of the DBM CSO [civil society organizations] Desk—a platform that will address budget-related concerns and inquiries and will provide capacity-building and training for CSOs on the budget process to enable a more meaningful engagement,” she added.
The CSO Desk provides information to the public on the process of citizen engagement and feedback on how citizens’ inputs are used in the formulation and implementation of the annual budget.
The first day of the forum was held for CSOs and other non-government partners, while the representatives from various national government agencies attended on the second day.
The OGP, co-founded by the Philippines in 2011, is a multilateral organization of reformers from government, civil society networks, businesses and non-profits reflective of the values of access to information, public accountability, citizen participation and leveraging technology and innovation to strengthen governance.
It includes 77 countries, 106 local governments and thousands of civil society organizations whose ultimate goal is to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance.
The program is part of the sustainable development programs under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The PH-OGP Forum aims to build awareness among national government agencies and non-government organizations about the PH-OGP and its role in helping achieve people-centered governance and to share accomplishments and highlight the impact of PH-OGP over the years
It also seek to present plans for the development of the PH-OGP National Action Plan and how government and non-government actors participate in the co-creation process in preparation for the institutionalization of the PH-OGP.
The DBM, which chairs the PH-OGP Steering Committee, continues to conduct participatory consultations and foster stronger multi-sectoral partnerships to promote good governance and improve bureaucratic efficiency. (PNA)
