Budget Secretary Mina Pangandaman welcomed on Tuesday the four local government units (LGUs) that have been accepted into the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multilateral organization of reformers around the world.
Pangandaman, chair of OGP-Philippines, said the addition of Tagbilaran, Larena, Quezon City, and Baguio will help improve the delivery of basic services to their constituents through the intensified participation of the civil society sector.
“As Chair of the Philippine Open Government Partnership, I officially welcome Tagbilaran, Larena, QC and Baguio cities to OGP. This is a big boost to our campaign for open governance. I look forward to working with you in making our government more open, transparent and accountable,” Pangandaman said in a news release.
The four new LGU members will join South Cotabato, which was accepted into the OGP in 2018 and Borongan, Samar, which was accepted in 2020.
With six LGUs now part of the organization, OGP is now present in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, according to Pangandaman.
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.
The Philippines is one of the eight founding countries of the OGP, along with Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Since 2016, the OGP Local program has opened membership to local governments for initiatives promoting the values of OGP.
It was also institutionalized by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last year, through Executive Order (EO) 31.
“With this EO, we are able to provide a solid policy and legal framework to ensure that the open government principles are embedded in programs and policies in all branches of government,” the Budget Secretary said.
Pangandaman added that as PH-OGP chair, she wants to see more LGUs joining the partnership.
“With more LGUs joining OGP, we strengthen our commitment to OGP even more,” Pangandaman said. (PNA)