Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Transparency is not a trophy. It is a discipline—built slowly, defended daily, and strengthened only when institutions choose openness even when it is inconvenient. In government, where trust is our most fragile currency, transparency is the difference between doubt and democracy.

This week, the Department of Budget and Management was once again honored at the Freedom of Information Awards (FOI)—our fourth consecutive year of recognition. It reaffirms that openness is not a one-off initiative but a culture we worked hard to build. This honor belongs to the PH-OGP Project Management Office, our information officers, and every public servant who ensures that government remains visible and accountable to the people it serves.

When I assumed office in 2022, I was determined to end the era of “budget by request,” where Filipinos encountered key budget documents only after the GAA had already been signed. We changed that. We opened the NEP, the GAA, fund releases, SARO and NCA records, and critical budget data—publishing them online routinely rather than selectively. We simplified technical documents through the People’s Budget and created dashboards that allowed citizens, media, and watchdog groups to follow how public funds move. The budget stopped being an exclusive conversation among officials; it became a public record, accessible to all.

This commitment to openness deepened when President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 31, institutionalizing the Philippine Open Government Partnership across the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. As PH-OGP chairperson, I had the privilege of leading the country back into the global OGP Steering Committee and hosting the first OGP Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in Manila. These were significant milestones—but the world’s response was even more meaningful.

At the 2025 OGP Global Summit in Spain, PS-DBM—with the full support and leadership of DBM—was honored under the anti-corruption thematic category for its commitment to improve data availability, interoperability, and public participation in government procurement. With a strengthened PhilGEPS platform and an enhanced Open Data Portal, procurement opportunities, contracts, bid results, supplier information, and other critical datasets are now more accessible than ever. This recognition signals to the world that the Philippines is no longer on the sidelines of reform—it is leading the charge for honest, transparent, and participatory procurement.

Our momentum continued when the Philippines achieved its highest-ever ranking in the Open Budget Survey in 2023—first in Asia and among the top 15 globally. This confirmed that our pursuit for transparency is not symbolic; it is structural, measurable, and consistent.

The same conviction guided our work in modernizing procurement. The passage and operationalization of the New Government Procurement Act—considered by many experts as the most significant anti-corruption measure in recent history—ushered in a new era defined by stronger safeguards and digital transformation. Beneficial ownership disclosure, open contracting, lifetime blacklisting of erring contractors, and the shift toward the Most Economically Advantageous and Responsive Bid all helped ensure that public money is spent transparently and wisely. Through PhilGEPS and PS-DBM, procurement processes became faster, clearer, and more accountable. During the 25th anniversary celebration of PhilGEPS, hearing the community reaffirm their commitment to these reforms was a powerful reminder that real change endures only when institutions embrace it from within.

Our modernization efforts extended across public financial management. Under the PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024–2028, we strengthened the country’s digital backbone through the Integrated Financial Management Information System anchored on BTMS. We introduced the DBM Blockchain Initiative—the first in Southeast Asia—to make SARO and NCA documents tamper-proof and verifiable. We eased the burden on local governments by digitizing submissions through the DRSL Portal. We revived Project DIME so that satellites, drones, and geotagging could be used to verify projects on the ground. These reforms do not often make headlines, but they quietly strengthen the architecture that ensures every peso is traceable and every project is accountable.

This is why the FOI recognition carries so much weight. It is more than an award—it is proof that transparency has taken root, that systems have matured, and that DBM continues to thrive under the steady leadership of OIC-Secretary Rolly Toledo. The reforms we began no longer depend on personalities or positions; they have become part of DBM’s institutional DNA.

Beyond numbers, systems, dashboards, and reforms, what we strive for is simple: a government the Filipino people can believe in. A government that shows its work. A government that listens. A government that never turns its back on the people, whose taxes sustain it and whose trust keeps it alive.

Transparency is not the destination. It is the path—one we must walk with courage, consistency, and heart. It is the promise we make to every Filipino family that the money they work so hard to earn will be honored, guarded, and used for their future. It is the quiet assurance to every young person who dreams of a better Philippines that their government is willing to be seen, questioned, and held accountable.

And so, as I reflect on this newest FOI recognition and everything it represents, I return to a truth that guided me from my first day in office until my last: Public office is a trust, and trust is earned in the light. This is the work that outlives any term, any title, any administration. This is the legacy we safeguard—not for ourselves, but for the generations who will inherit the nation we build today.

Beyond budget, what truly matters is the integrity of the system we leave behind, the trust we are able to restore, and the hope we rekindle when our people can finally look at their government and say, with confidence, “Pwede pala.”