Secretary Pangandaman leads Open Government Initiatives in Mindanao

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) Steering Committee Chairperson Amenah F. Pangandaman led the kick-off of the open government initiatives in Mindanao after presiding over the Fourth Quarter PH-OGP Steering Committee Meeting on November 23, and gracing the OGPinas! National Advocacy Campaign on November 24, both held in Davao City.

The PH-OGP Steering Committee Meeting aims to review and approve the final list of commitments to be enrolled in the 6th National Action Plan (NAP), the country’s first medium-term OGP action plan. 

In her opening message, Secretary Pangandaman emphasized that “every commitment, every program, and every action plan that we implement is a make-or-break for our kababayans who dream of better quality and decent lives and aspire for a better Philippines with us.”

DBM Assistant Secretary and PH-OGP Head Secretariat Rolando U. Toledo discussed the overview of the 6th NAP commitments, including the Project Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation (Project DIME) of the DBM, and the Establishment of More Justice Zones and the Improved Access to Quality, Free, or Affordable Legal Service of the Supreme Court.

Showing a unified front for open government in the country, DBM Undersecretary Wilford Will L. Wong, Department of Finance (DOF) Assistant Secretary Karlo Fermin S. Adriano, Office of the Executive Secretary Undersecretary Atty. Leonardo Roy A. Cervantes, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secretary Ester A. Aldana, National Economic and Development Authority OIC Assistant Director Judith V. Gondra, Supreme Court Judicial Staff Head Atty. Nico Robert R. Martin, and Department of Social Welfare and Development Social Welfare Officer IV Nolibelyn Macabagdal were also present at the event.

Meanwhile, PH-OGP Steering Committee Co-Chairperson and Mindanao Coalition of Development for NGO Networks (MINCODE) Chairperson Andrea Maria Patricia M. Sarenas, Coalition for Bicol Development Chairperson Aurora C. De Guzman, Sectoral Transparency Alliance on Governance representative Jimmy E. Viliganilao, Public Services Labor