Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Last week, the Philippines joined over 77 nations in celebrating Open Government (Gov) Week. It brought together key representatives from the government, civil society organizations (CSOs), the academe, the private sector, the youth, and our development partners to advance the values of transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and innovation in governance through dynamic events, including forums, workshops, youth-led initiatives, and dialogues.

As chairperson of the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Steering Committee and member of the OGP Steering Committee, I am happy with its success. You see, when we, in the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. (PBBM), started celebrating the annual Open Gov Week, there were only a handful of people in a small room. This year, I was amazed and pleased by the number of attendees, gathering over 2,000 advocates from different sectors.

I believe this event could not have come at a better time, taking place just a week after our midterm elections — a fitting reminder that serving our nation does not end after the campaign, and participation in governance does not end with casting one’s votes.

At the opening ceremony, I highlighted the significance of safeguarding the values of democracy that embody the power of the people: Freedom of speech, public participation, and equality, among others, which we must do for our country and as members of the community of nations.

Open Gov Week reminds us that we stand together with the rest of the world to celebrate, inspire, and energize the movement, recognizing that it is only through collaboration that we can effectively address the challenges we face.

I am proud to share that since the start of the administration, we have consistently demonstrated our commitment to fostering collective action, with PBBM as our foremost champion — institutionalizing the PH-OGP, a multi-stakeholder partnership responsible for overseeing and implementing the country's commitment to the OGP, through Executive Order (EO) No. 31.

OGP Regional Lead for Asia and the Pacific Swati Mehta highlighted the significance of this Order at the opening ceremony, saying, “It needs every government office — national or local — to view transparency, participation, and accountability, not as additional work, but as how government works. This is why [EO] 31, institutionalizing OGP in the Philippines, is such an important step.”

Further, PBBM reminded us, during his keynote address at the 2025 OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting opening ceremony in February, of the power of collaboration, especially in addressing complex challenges of governance, emphasizing, “open governance is fundamental to prosperity, to stability, and to security in a rapidly transforming world.”

Thus, at the Open Gov Week Opening Ceremony, I proudly shared several accomplishments and milestones toward realizing an open government, including our country's successful hosting of the Regional Meeting and the East Asia and the Pacific International Public Procurement Conference in April.

In addition, our country submitted the highest number of entries in Asia and the Pacific for the Open Gov Challenge, which I believe shows our commitment to addressing governance challenges. The OGP Local Program members have also launched their Local Action Plans, a powerful reminder that open governance is most impactful when it is local, inclusive, and people-centered.

The PH-OGP has likewise conducted roundtable discussions with CSOs, the academe, and the private sector to advance the passage of an enabling law that will uphold the people’s constitutional right to information in the 20th Congress.

I agree with the President when he noted during the Regional Meeting that, “our people can only truly participate in governance if they have access to information.” We are thankful to the President as this is very much aligned with our vision of finally achieving the passage of such a crucial legislation, which will make the Philippines a global leader in transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.

I also gladly noted that 88 local government units have enacted their respective right to information ordinances, demonstrating the power of local governments in driving change in our communities.

Further, I proudly shared that our country has recently been appointed as the lead of the Programmatic Delivery Subcommittee of the OGP. This subcommittee plays a vital role in providing strategic oversight on how OGP advances reforms across key thematic areas, ranging from anti-corruption to civic space and digital governance. As lead, we will closely work with the OGP Support Unit to help scale thematic ambitions across the Partnership, support global advocacy efforts, and recommend the establishment of task forces to deepen reform outcomes.

This leadership role reflects the Philippines’ growing influence in the international OGP community and our continued commitment to shaping and driving the global Open Government Agenda.

Beyond budget, Open Gov Week fosters collective action for an open government that is the cornerstone of our Bagong Pilipinas — a nation that thrives through transparent governance, accountable leadership, and active citizen participation. We may have a long road ahead, but the PH-OGP is committed to making things happen. We hope you will join us as we march on to fulfill our commitments.