The Philippine Open Government Partnership has expanded its reform network after signing agreements with key government agencies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations to strengthen the implementation of the PH-OGP 2026 Agenda.
The memoranda of understanding were signed on July 2 at the Department of Budget and Management Central Office.
PH-OGP, chaired by DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon, said the new partnerships will broaden efforts to promote transparency, accountability, citizen participation, innovation, and better public service delivery.
The PH-OGP 2026 Agenda serves as the country’s roadmap for open government reforms at the national and local levels. It seeks to improve public financial management, deepen public participation, strengthen accountability, and institutionalize collaboration among government, civil society, academe, and development partners.
The new partners include the Department of Justice, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Health, Development Academy of the Philippines, University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance, Institute for Solidarity in Asia, De La Salle University-Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance, and Democracy Watch.
PH-OGP said the expanded alliance is expected to help speed up concrete reform initiatives by combining the expertise of government, academic, and civil society institutions.
It is also expected to create wider avenues for citizen participation and strengthen public oversight in the use of government resources.
In his message, De Leon said good governance must be measured not only by how agencies perform their mandates, but by whether citizens feel the results.
“Sa panahon ngayon, hindi na sapat na mahusay lang ang bawat ahensya sa pagtupad ng kani-kanilang mandato. Ang tunay na sukatan ng mahusay na pamahalaan ay kung nararamdaman ba ito ng tao,” De Leon said.
“Across the country, national government agencies, local government units, and our civil society partners are already demonstrating how transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and innovation can transform governance into better services for our people,” he added.
During the ceremony, partner institutions also presented their pledges of commitment, outlining the initiatives they will pursue to advance open government reforms within their sectors.
DBM Undersecretary and PH-OGP Project Management Office Senior Supervising Official Wilford Will Wong said the broader network would help make open government practices more institutionalized across sectors.
“By expanding our network of champions, we extend the reach of open government beyond individual agencies and isolated initiatives. We create the conditions for openness, participation, and accountability to become deeply embedded in our institutions, widely practiced across sectors, and ultimately, more meaningful in the daily lives of the Filipino people,” Usec. Wong said.