The Philippines has strengthened its efforts to build a more responsive, inclusive, and transparent government through the “Bagong Pilipinas” initiative, aligning with its international commitment to promoting open and participatory governance.
Addressing the delegates at the 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) in Taguig City on Thursday, President Marcos reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to maintaining best practices in governance.
“This momentous occasion testifies to how we have embraced open governance as part of our national identity under Bagong Pilipinas,” stated President Marcos. “This is complemented by our sincerest efforts to make government processes more responsive, inclusive, and transparent.”
President Marcos emphasized that access to information, government transparency, digitalization, and the establishment of freedom of information are essential to fostering people’s involvement in governance. He highlighted the global recognition achieved by the Philippines through initiatives such as the Citizen Participatory Audit Program, Grassroots Participatory Budgeting, and the Open Data Portal, which have enhanced policy and program execution.
The President proudly shared that over 4,000 government units and civil society organizations have pledged their commitment to open governance through the nationwide advocacy campaign “OGPinas!”
“Our socio-economic transformation blueprint, the Philippine Development Plan of 2023 to 2028, identifies OGP as a key mechanism to deepen participatory governance,” President Marcos elaborated. “By actively involving our citizens in the decision-making process, we ensure their significant influence on policy development, as it should be.”
Established in 2011, the OGP aims to promote transparency and accountability, empower citizens, combat corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance among member countries. President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 31 in June 2023, institutionalizing the Philippine OGP as a multi-stakeholder partnership.
As one of the eight founding members of the OGP, alongside Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the Philippines stands committed to the principles of open governance. The OGP now comprises 75 member countries, 106 local governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and multilateral partners.
President Marcos expressed gratitude to the OGP for choosing the Philippines to host its meeting for the first time in 14 years. He encouraged stakeholders to become accountability advocates, fostering deeper community trust through impactful dialogues, concrete actions, and genuine support.
“Join the conversation. Be advocates of accountability in your communities. Be part of the global commitment to open governance. Let our initiatives honorably reflect the aspirations of our respective citizens,” President Marcos urged.
