DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management Secretary and Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Chairman Amenah Pangandaman called on OGP champions to share their testimonies and success stories during her message of support for the Pampanga leg of the OGPinas nationwide advocacy campaign last Nov. 15.

Participated by more than 300 members and representatives from government and civil society organizations (CSOs), the Pampanga run was the final leg of the campaign for the year.

The Budget Chief's call for stories on open governance was also part of the country's preparations for the upcoming 2025 OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting, which the Philippines will host in February.

"Our preparations are now in full swing. I encourage all of you to share your OGP testimonies and success stories with us, so we can show the world what we are doing for a more open government in the country," Pangandaman said.

During a panel discussion, Department of Finance's Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) National Coordinator Mary Ann Dizon-Rodolfo shared that through PH-EITI's multistakeholder-led initiatives, the government and the public can engage in dialogues, allowing for the immediate resolution of issues at the local level.

Meanwhile, Government Procurement Policy Board representative Renlay Concha shared that the recently launched Procurement Observer's Portal allows CSOs to observe in procurement proceedings in just one click.

This is also one of the features of the New Government Procurement Act, which, according to Pangandaman, has "deeply embedded the principles of transparency and participative governance."

Prior to this, the Budget Chief and OGP Global Steering Committee members already opened the platform for OGP testimonies when she led the OGP side event, held during the first ministerial-level International Conference on Women, Peace and Security two weeks ago.