At the 2025 Open Government Philippines Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting held in Taguig City, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared that the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) has positioned the Philippines as a beacon of transparency in Asia and a trailblazer in global open governance. Speaking at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Manila, Marcos highlighted the NGPA’s role in revolutionizing the Philippine government’s procurement system, making it more streamlined, modern, and transparent.
The NGPA, also known as Republic Act 12009, introduces open contracting, which mandates the disclosure of all procurement-related data and documents. This transparency is further enhanced by involving civil society organizations in the procurement process, enabling them to oversee the use of public funds and the execution of contracts. Marcos praised the NGPA as a monumental step in the fight against corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman echoed Marcos’s sentiments, describing the NGPA as a historic anti-corruption initiative. She emphasized its features such as open contracting, the disclosure of beneficial ownership, and public involvement throughout the procurement stages, aligning with the government’s core values.
Marcos also discussed the technological advancements in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), which now allows government agencies to procure items as easily as adding them to a shopping cart and paying online. This system now includes motor vehicles and is set to expand further, enabling agencies to purchase goods more efficiently and transparently from their offices.
In addition to procurement reforms, Marcos mentioned efforts to streamline various budget management systems to enhance efficiency and accuracy in handling revenues and expenditures. He also announced the launch of the Public Financial Management Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028, aimed at fully digitalizing the bureaucracy and automating public financial management processes from planning to evaluation.
Marcos emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering civic engagement at all societal levels to drive transformative changes at the grassroots. Pangandaman, who also leads the Philippine Open Government Partnership, noted that the Philippines leads Asia in fiscal transparency according to the latest Open Budget Survey.