Quezon City: Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has renewed her call for lawmakers to pass the long-delayed Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, emphasizing its importance in fostering transparency and public participation in government. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Open Government Week held at the Luxent Hotel in Quezon City on Friday, Pangandaman urged the 20th Congress to prioritize the passage of the measure, which would grant citizens broader access to public information. Access to information, she said, is crucial in attaining the open government agenda.
According to Philippines News Agency, Pangandaman expressed pride in the Philippines' position as the most fiscally transparent country in Asia, based on the latest Open Budget Survey, and its improved standing in the World Press Freedom Index 2025. However, she highlighted the absence of an enabling law to uphold people's constitutional right to information and called for louder and clearer support for the FOI law's passage in the 20th Congress.
While Congress has yet to pass a national FOI law, Pangandaman acknowledged that 88 local government units have enacted ordinances providing constituents access to government data, an initiative she hopes more LGUs will follow. She emphasized the need for more champions of transparency at the local level.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has conducted a series of roundtable discussions with various stakeholders to gather insights for the draft FOI bill. In collaboration with the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the DBM is refining the measure's provisions for presentation at the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on May 26.
Pangandaman noted that the DBM has taken deliberate steps to promote transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. She highlighted the New Government Procurement Act and the Public Financial Management Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028 as significant reforms in governance.
The Open Gov Week allowed the Philippine economic team to consult civil society organizations, aiding the Marcos administration in achieving responsive macroeconomic and fiscal targets. Pangandaman remarked on the progress and partnerships formed since the institutionalization of the Philippine Open Government Partnership under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., emphasizing that open government is a principle integrated into planning, spending, consulting, and reforming processes.
