The Philippines secured the second highest score in Southeast Asia for transparency of budget documents in the 2021 Open Budget Survey.
Out of a total of 120 countries included in the survey, the Philippines placed 19th with a score of 68. In Southeast Asia, it ranked second to Indonesia.
The Philippines scored slightly lower than the 76 it got in 2019 due to the late publication of the mid-year review online.
OBS measures transparency in terms of public access to information on how the central government raises and spends public resources. It assesses the online availability, timeliness, and comprehensiveness of 8 key budget documents using 109 equally weighted indicators.
A transparency score of 61 or above out of 100 indicates a country is “likely publishing enough material to support informed public debate on the budget.”
Launched in 2006 by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), the Open Budget Survey is the “world’s only independent, comparative, and fact-based research instrument” to measure aspects of governance and accountability through transparency, oversight and public participation.
In terms of public participation, the Philippines scored 35 out of 100, the highest in Southeast Asia and higher than the global average of 14.
This category assesses the formal opportunities offered to the public for meaningful participation in the different stages of the budget process. It also examines the practices of the central government’s executive, the legislature, and supreme audit institution using 18 equally weighted indicators, aligned with the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency’s Principles of Public Participation in Fiscal Policies.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman welcomed the OBS results.
“We hope to fast-track our initiatives to digitize government processes and transactions through the implementation of the Integrated Financial Management Information System as well as the enactment of the progressive budgeting for better and modernized governance bill or PBBM bill which shall institutionalize the cash budgeting system,” Pangandaman said in a taped message.
“We are also committed to continue working towards an open and participatory government as we chair the Philippine Open Government Partnership steering committee,” she added, noting that the DBM would study the feasibility of including OBS’ recommendations in its processes.
De La Salle University political science and development studies professor Dr. Francisco Magno said the DBM can further strengthen public participation in the budget process by expanding mechanisms during budget formulation and implementation.
He also urged the agency to engage any civil society organization or member of the public who wishes to participate and encourage participation from vulnerable and underrepresented communities, directly or through civil society organizations representing them.
Magno said that while Congress has established public hearings related to the approval of the annual budget, it should also allow any member of the public or any civil society organization (CSO) to testify during its hearings on the budget proposal prior to its approval, among other recommendations.
DBM Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo said the DBM has introduced a CSO Desk that will serve as the focal unit of civil society organizations for all budget-related concerns and data requests.
It is also integrating an annual budget utilization report for the projects and programs enrolled in the PH-Open Government Partnership National Action Plans, and reviewing the integration of a feedback mechanism in the Budget Preparation Form to help the CSOs be informed and understand how their inputs are being used in the formulation of an agency’s budget.
“The DBM Fiscal Openness Action Plan shall refer to the OBS indicators and will outline initiatives and strategies to harness budget transparency and public participation in the national budget process,” Toledo said.
