MANILA — Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) led the official opening of the 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM), bringing together over 800 participants, including government leaders, civil society advocates, and policy experts from more than 40 countries.
“Our people can only truly participate in governance if they have access to information. This access is made possible by government transparency, digitalization, and the institutionalization of the Freedom of Information (FOI) through legislation, which is a constitutionally recognized principle,” the President said in his opening statement during the opening plenary of the event. He emphasized that the FOI is one of the many ways that the Philippines has been keeping its commitments to OGP.
The OGP is an international movement that unites governments and civil society to champion transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement. By fostering collaboration, it drives meaningful reforms that enhance public services, combat corruption, and empower communities, all to build a more responsive government that serves the people.
“We are pleased to have DBM Secretary Mina Pangandaman as the Philippine OGP Chairperson. She has been instrumental in pushing our Open Government Agenda further,” President Marcos Jr. added.
Hosted by the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) chaired by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah “Mina” F. Pangandaman, together with civil society organizations, the OGP APRM 2025 aims to drive meaningful change through the sharing of best practices and innovations in open governance across the Asia-Pacific.
Parallel to the President’s message, Secretary Pangandaman highlighted the enactment of the New Government Procurement Act as one of the Philippines biggest anti-corruption law and crucial reform towards achieving the open government agenda.
“We have also enacted a New Government Procurement Act which has been hailed as the biggest anti-corruption measure in the country’s recent history, as it introduces open contracting, disclosure of beneficial ownership information, and public participation at all levels of the procurement process, in sync with open government values,” the Budget Secretary explained.
The opening plenary features dynamic discussions centered on advancing transparency, civic engagement, and accountability across the region.
“Our tremendous gratitude to the government of the Philippines for this amazing welcome, and for hosting this gathering. It’s an honor to stand here in Manila as we begin the 2025 OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting,” OGP incoming Chief Executive Officer Aidan Eyakuze noted.
“To keep advancing its reforms, the Philippines should also tackle remaining challenges, such as the pending Freedom of Information Law that was part of their first action plan, dealing with systematic corruption, increasing digital access, improving data governance gaps, and safeguarding civic space,” the OGP CEO furthered.
The three-day event consists of a series of inspiring sessions designed to share best practices and explore innovative solutions. The agenda includes more than 40 sessions, along with side events mounted by various institutions, including the University of the Philippines.
CEO Eyakuze also detailed some of the standout commitments of the Asia-Pacific OGP members including the safe and responsible use of automated decision-making (ADM) in Australia, improvement in data management and compliance of extractive forestry and plantation sectors in Indonesia, algorithm charter in New Zealand, among others.
A highlight of the opening ceremony was a thought-provoking panel moderated by Stephanie Muchai, OGP Steering Committee Representative from Kenya. Panelists shared their insights about the opportunities and existing pressing issues.
As part of the program OGP members like Armenia, Mongolia, Philippines and South Korea, along with local governments like Larena and Baguio in the Philippines, were recognized during the opening plenary for their contributions to the Open Gov Challenge, a global campaign aimed at raising ambition of open government reforms.
“We have a lot to aspire for in terms of the Open Government Challenge. In the Philippines, we are proud to share that based on the latest Open Budget Survey, the Philippines ranked No. 1 in Asia in fiscal Transparency,” Secretary Pangandaman stated.
The most outstanding reforms will be honored through the Open Government Awards at the upcoming OGP Global Summit in Spain, where the most impactful and transformative commitments will receive global recognition.
“There could have been no better time for the Philippines to host this regional meeting. The Philippines is set to hold its mid-term elections this May. Meanwhile, our House of Representatives and Senate recently agreed to reschedule the first ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao”, expressed OGP Co-Chairperson Aurora Reyes Chavez on the timing of the meeting.
“Since its founding in 2011, our partnership has provided governments, civil society, and the private sector, a platform to co-create reforms that have strengthened political institutions, improved basic service delivery, and widened citizen participation in governance among and beyond its members,” she added.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin expressed enthusiasm on the APRM during the welcome dinner on February 5, 2025. “The Philippines is truly grateful for the trust reposed in organizing this pivotal gathering of ministers, leaders and policymakers from governments and civil societies across Asia-Pacific and beyond,” he mentioned.
“The exchange of experiences and insights as well as learnings from constructive disagreements will certainly go a long way toward realizing our shared aspirations as government and civil society to install reforms that ensure better service for our constituents,” the former Chief Justice added.
The OGP Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting will feature high-level discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, allowing government and civil society leaders to collaborate on policies that ensure more open and accountable government across the region. As the meeting progresses, participants will continue to push for greater ambition in reforms that foster inclusive participation and innovation in government. These efforts will continue at the OGP Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain on October 7-9, 2025.
The APRM runs until February 7, Friday. Refer to the link for the complete list of activities: https://ogpasiapacific.org/Agenda/ (DBM)
