The Philippines has reached its highest-ever ranking in the World Press Freedom Index, climbing to the 116th spot in 2025, a significant leap from 134th in 2024.
This remarkable improvement was highlighted by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Chairperson Amenah F. Pangandaman, who reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to transparency and freedom of information (FOI).
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Philippines’ score rose by 6.2 points to 49.57, driven by substantial improvements in media safety and legal frameworks.
“This remarkable feat is a testament to the country’s significant strides in championing the freedom of the press, which equates to upholding the public’s Constitutional right to information,” Secretary Pangandaman stated.
The Budget Chief also noted the Philippines’ top ranking in Asia for budget transparency in the latest Open Budget Survey (OBS). This achievement is partly attributed to the DBM’s regular publication of the “People’s Budget” series, which simplifies complex budget documents for wider public understanding.
Furthermore, the operationalization of the people’s right to information through Executive Order No. 2 in 2016 has been facilitated by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO)’s eFOI portal, enabling Filipinos to easily access government information online.
Despite these advancements, Secretary Pangandaman renewed her call for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill in the 20th Congress to fully institutionalize the public’s constitutional right to information.
Since April 2025, the PH-OGP, in partnership with the PCO, has been actively engaging stakeholders from government, civil society, academe, and the private sector through a series of consultations. These discussions aim to identify lessons learned, revisit strategies, and prioritize the FOI Bill in the legislative agenda.
The DBM and PCO will consolidate the insights from these roundtables and harmonize the two existing versions of the draft FOI Bill. They will also consult international right to information (RTI) experts within the OGP network to ensure the legislation aligns with global standards and principles.
“We are grateful to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who has also reaffirmed his full support for the passage of the FOI Bill, and highlighted the need to institutionalize FOI and citizens’ access to information through legislation so that they can truly participate in governance,” Secretary Pangandaman shared.
The institutionalization of the PH-OGP through Executive Order No. 31 in 2023 under the current administration, 12 years after the Philippines became a founding member of the OGP, further underscores the government’s commitment to open governance.
The World Press Freedom Index, released annually by RSF, analyzes and compares the state of press freedom in 180 countries and territories. This year’s results were released in conjunction with #WorldPressFreedomDay on May 3.
