Enhancing Public Participation in the Creation of the Annual Budget of Quezon City Government Departments and Offices (PHQZT0001)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Action plan – Quezon City, Philippines, 2025 – 2028
Inception Report: Not available
Commitment Start: Feb 2025
Commitment End: Apr 2028
Institutions involved:
- Quezon City Government - Office of the City Administrator
- People’s Council of Quezon City
Primary Policy Area:
Primary Sector:
OGP Value:
- Public Accountability
- Access to information
- Civic Participation
Description
Commitment ID
PHQZT0001
Commitment Title
Enhancing Public Participation in the Creation of the Annual Budget of Quezon City Government Departments and Offices
Problem
Quezon City is facing several issues that prevent meaningful public participation in its budgeting process. Many marginalized communities don't have enough representation, which means they are unable to directly provide their insights and feedback in the annual budget of the Quezon City Government. On top of that, many civil society representatives lack the capacity they need to engage effectively with the government. Communication within these groups needs improvement, making it hard for them to unite and express a collective stance. These problems make it harder to create a budget that truly reflects the needs of everyone in the city, especially those who need it the most.
Status quo
Quezon City is constantly building its relationship with civil society organizations (CSOs) by engaging them in various discussions and forums. In particular, invitations are cascaded to sectoral representatives during budget hearings in the City Council. These steps aim to promote transparency, inclusivity, and accountability, ensuring CSOs genuinely reflect community needs. Beyond just the budget hearings, the city government has also started an ongoing review of how CSOs are represented across different government offices. This process is crucial to ensuring that their involvement is not just symbolic but truly reflects the needs of the community. By continuously assessing and improving how CSOs are included, the local government is working to create a space where everyone can have a meaningful say in governance.
Action
The commitment aims to enhance public participation in its annual budget process and reflects a transformative approach to governance. By strengthening partnerships with CSOs, ensuring inclusive representation, and providing feedback channels, Quezon City is making its budgeting process more transparent, participatory, and aligned with the community’s needs. Quezon City is dedicated to making sure everyone has a voice in shaping the city's budget by inviting relevant civil society organizations (CSOs) to join in the preparation of the budget per department or office. Through training and workshops, civil society organizations (CSOs) will also be equipped and oriented about the budget process allowing them to participate better. Among civil society organizations, a clear criteria and a transparent selection process for CSO representatives will be formulated to ensure the most effective representation.
How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?
The goal of this commitment is to make the budgeting process more inclusive, transparent, and accountable so that public resources are used in a way that truly reflects the needs of all residents. The city is partnering with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to ensure that the voices of these communities are heard and their priorities are taken into account. To help CSOs get more involved, Quezon City is providing them with the training and resources they need to better understand how the budgeting process works. This way, they can participate more meaningfully and have a real impact. The city is also focusing on ensuring that everyone—especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups—is fairly represented in these discussions. The goal is to create a budgeting process that is not just more inclusive, but one that genuinely reflects the needs of all the people who call Quezon City home.
What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?
This commitment is a big step toward making Quezon City a place where everyone has a voice and can actively shape the future. It aligns perfectly with the city’s long-term goal of being a model of inclusivity and innovation, where the government and civil society organizations work together. By getting CSOs involved in the budget process, they can help make sure the budget reflects the needs of everyone, not just the few.
Partnering with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is key to this effort. It ensures that decisions reflect the real needs of different communities, and it empowers people to engage meaningfully in the process. This commitment is about building a government that truly listens to its citizens and works alongside them to make the city a better place for everyone. It’s about collaboration, transparency, and making sure the voices of all residents are heard and respected.
Primary Policy Area
Fiscal Openness, Social Accountability
Primary Sector
Cross-sectoral, Public Services (general)
What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?
| Public Accountability | This commitment is highly relevant to the value of public accountability as it ensures that government officials and departments are answerable to citizens for how public funds are allocated and utilized. Public accountability is achieved by involving citizens and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the budget process, providing them with opportunities to influence decisions and monitor outcomes. |
| Access to information | This commitment is relevant to the value of transparency as it fosters openness, accountability, and trust in governance. By involving citizens and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the budget process, it ensures access to information, facilitates meaningful participation, and allows public monitoring of outcomes through feedback mechanisms. Transparency is upheld by providing clear insights into how funds are allocated, promoting, and building trust, ultimately ensuring that budget decisions are fair, inclusive, and aligned with the community’s needs. |
| Civic Participation | This commitment is deeply relevant to the values of public participation and inclusion, as it prioritizes active citizen engagement and ensures diverse representation in Quezon City’s budget process. By fostering collaboration and creating platforms for all voices to be heard, the initiative promotes a participatory and inclusive governance system. |