To the Provincial Government of La Union represented by Acting Governor Vice Governor Mario Eduardo C. Ortega;
PH-OGP Steering Committee members from the government and civil society;
Our very own DBM Regional Office I, led by Director Ria Bansigan and Assistant Director Ryan Milanes;
Our partners from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA);
Our partners also from the Supreme Court and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) who talked a while ago;
Our commitment holders, stakeholders, and participants,
My warmest greetings to all! Naimbag nga bigat iti amin, La Union!
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
I am excited to be here in this tropical paradise of La Union, or Elyu, the very famous surfing and gastronomic destination. Wala po akong time mag-surfing ngayon, sayang, pero gusto ko pong matikman mamaya ang sikat ninyong Halo-Halo de Iloko! Pero natikman ko na rin po kanina ‘yong masarap na kape ng El Union.
Naiintindihan ko po kung bakit may mga taga-DBM na gustong tumira dito dahil ang dami n’yong maipagmamalaki—from your gorgeous scenic beaches to your rich culture and heritage.
Today, allow us na magdagdag ng isa pang pwedeng maipagmalaki ng mga taga-La Union. Ngayong araw, may pagkakataon po ang La Union na maisulong din ang bukás na pamamahala dito sa inyong probinsya.
I am delighted to join all of you today for another run of OGPinas!, our nationwide advocacy campaign which embodies the essence of open government—ang pagkakaisa ng mga mamamayan tungo sa bukás at mabuting pamamahala ng bayan.
This is the 13th province we have visited since we launched the campaign in 2023. During our visits, I am always impressed that our local officials are advancing the cause of open government in their localities and that more and more of our fellow Filipinos are joining us in our advocacy.
For this, we were commended by no less than the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Pradhan. Two weeks ago, during the OGP Leaders Roundtable in New York, he cited our efforts in mainstreaming open government in our socioeconomic framework, encouraging leaders to mobilize ministries across the whole of government beyond the OGP ministerial point of contact.
I also met with the Filipino community in New York to get more Filipinos involved in our OGP journey. I shared with them how we have been consistently advancing open government in the country and ramping up our efforts even further.
In fact, the Philippines [is one of the] founding members of the open government partnership [in] 2011, and we continue to lead in promoting open government.
For the first time ever, PH-OGP has been institutionalized by no less than our President, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. through Executive Order No. 31.
This is a historic step for good governance, allowing the executive, legislative, and the judicial branches to align and support open government efforts despite their independence.
By working together, these branches can create a more transparent, accurate, and participatory government.
Just last April, we proved our commitment to open government yet again because four LGUs from the Philippines were accepted to the OGP Local Program! These LGUs are Baguio City, Quezon City, Municipality of Larena in Siquijor, and Tagbilaran City, joining South Cotabato. Sa mga susunod na taon, sana mas dumami pa po ang mga LGU na makasali rito at naniniwala po ako na kayang-kaya ring makipagsabayan ng La Union sa OGP Local Program!
Nakapaka-importante po ng OGP dahil ito ay isang paraan upang paigtingin ang transparency at accountability ng ating gobyerno. And I am happy to report that just this May, the Philippines ranked number 1 in budget transparency, not only in Southeast Asia but in all of Asia, based on the latest Open Budget Survey.
Ibig sabihin, maaaring siyasatin ng publiko ang ating national budget. Higit pa diyan, sa pamamagitan ng ating People’s Budget series, mas naiintindihan ng mga ordinaryong Pilipino ang nakalaang pondo para sa mga programa at proyekto sa bawat sektor ng gobyerno.
Number one din po tayo sa Southeast Asia pagdating naman sa Public Participation. Ibig sabihin, ang taumbayan pati na ang ating mga Civil Society Organization ay kasama sa pagdedesisyon ng gobyerno.
We are also giving life to OGP by practicing participatory budgeting. Through the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting, 75 municipalities nationwide, including the Municipality of Caba, La Union, will receive access to safely managed and resilient water supply and sanitation services. This also covers the construction of climate-smart evacuation centers. The OGP component of this is that civil society organizations themselves will help identify the beneficiaries.
Most importantly, we made history with the signing of the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in July. This will modernize the procurement system para po mawala na ang korupsyon sa procurement at maging mas efficient ito. At may public participation component din po ito! Observers from the private sector and civil society will be invited to participate in procurement proceedings.
All these fuel our dream to be a bright, shining example of open government to the world. We are one step closer to achieving that dream because the Philippines, to be represented by yours truly, will now take on a global leadership role as a new member of the OGP Steering Committee starting this month, joining countries such as Brazil, Estonia, Morocco, and the United Kingdom who have likewise secured seats and also began their three-year term this October. Other government members are Chile, Germany, Indonesia, Kenya, Spain, and the United States. This is a big responsibility, but I am grateful and excited for this rare opportunity to show the world what we are doing for a more open government.
Finally, our preparations for the OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Summit, which the Philippines will host in February 2025, are now in full swing! I hope you join us in making this the most dynamic, fruitful, and memorable OGP Regional Summit. In Shaa Allah!
So we have a lot of good news for OGP, but we also still have a long road ahead. Let us continue to build on our gains as we pursue the sustainability of our commitments under the 6th PH-OGP National Action Plan. And let's make the most out of OGPinas!: speak up, push for accountability in our government, amplify our collective impact in driving change, and create space for our fellow Filipinos to participate in our country’s governance.
Sama-sama po tayo sa Bagong Pilipinas kung saan ang gobyerno ay maipagmamalaki at mapagkakatiwalaan.
Kung saan ang gobyerno ay bukas—bukas sa publiko, bukas sa kabataan, bukas sa kababaihan, bukas sa manggagawa, bukas sa sambayanan… bukas para sa magandang kinabukasan ng ating bayan!
Kaya sama sama din po nating isigaw: OG… Pinas! (Isa pa, mas malakas! OG… Pinas!)
Agyamanak unay, La Union!
Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
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