President of the Philippines and Incoming OGP CEO Welcome Regional Leaders to Advance Open Government Reforms

Manila, Philippines – More than 800 government and civil society leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered today in Manila for the opening plenary of the 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting, taking place from February 5-7. Hosted by the Government of the Philippines, the meeting serves as a platform for members to drive ambitious reforms, strengthen democracy, and promote transparency and accountability in government.

In his opening remarks, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to open government, stating, “This meeting is more than just a showcase of achievements. It’s a call to action, the rallying cry for solidarity amongst nations… Through trust, collaboration, and the belief in the power of our people, we can build a world where every citizen’s voice is heard and every government is accountable.”

OGP’s Interim CEO and Chief of Global Programs, Paul Maassen, stressed the importance of regional collaboration in achieving ambitious reforms. “OGP members in the Asia and the Pacific region have demonstrated good progress in areas like fiscal openness and justice. However, challenges remain including attacks on civil liberties and systemic corruption. This Regional Meeting offers an opportunity to share experiences, learn from each other, and collectively accelerate solutions to address the region’s most pressing issues.” 

Cielo Magno, President, Publish What You Pay Philippines and Lead Civil Society Co-Chair of OGP, emphasized the vital role of civil society in advancing open government and called for stronger protections for organizations and activists advocating for accountability as populist leaders are on the rise. “Citizen participation in governance should be recognized as a human right. It is important for members of OGP to get their strong commitment to institutionalize spaces for civil society to participate and strengthen participation. We have to make sure that the space that the government is providing for us is an opportunity to push for genuine reforms.”

The Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management of the Philippines, Amenah F. Pangandaman welcomed reformers and “changemakers who believe in and fight for a world where transparency is the norm, accountability is a commitment, and citizen participation is a right, not a privilege. […] Pagnandaman hopes that the Philippines’ experience and open government work can “inspire others to take the same path, or better yet, improve on what we have already achieved.”

Welcoming New Members to OGP

The Manila meeting marks an important milestone as OGP expands its community with the addition of new national and local members dedicated to open government. The newly welcomed members include:

• National Governments: Maldives, Timor-Leste
• Local Governments:
  • Metsamor Municipality, Armenia
  • West Java Province, Indonesia
  • Yogyakarta Autonomous City, Indonesia
  • Madiun Municipality, Indonesia
  • Osh City, Kyrgyz Republic
  • Fuvahmulah City, Maldives
  • Tagbilaran City, Philippines
  • Larena Municipality, Philippines
  • Quezon City, Philippines
  • Baguio City, Philippines

These governments join a growing coalition of reformers who are committed to promoting transparency, fighting corruption, and strengthening civic participation. Over the coming months, these new members will be co-creating concrete reforms to advance open government in their communities.  

Recognizing Ambitious Reforms through the Open Government Challenge

OGP members like Armenia, Mongolia, Philippines and South Korea, along with local governments like Larena and Baguio in the Philippines,  were recognized during the opening plenary for their contributions to the Open Gov Challenge, a global campaign aimed at raising ambition of open government reforms. 

The most outstanding reforms will be honored through the Open Government Awards at the upcoming OGP Global Summit in Spain, where the most impactful and transformative commitments will receive global recognition.

Over the next two days, the OGP Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting will feature high-level discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, allowing government and civil society leaders to collaborate on policies that ensure more open and accountable government across the region. As the meeting progresses, participants will continue to push for greater ambition in reforms that foster inclusive participation and innovation in government. These efforts will continue at the OGP Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain on October 7-9, 2025. 

For media inquiries, please contact: jose.perez@opengovpartnership.org

ABOUT OGP: 

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a unique global initiative that brings together governments and civil society to drive concrete commitments aimed at promoting transparency, increasing public participation, combating corruption, and leveraging technology to make governments more open, effective, and accountable to citizens worldwide.

Launched on September 20, 2011, during the UN General Assembly, OGP began with eight heads of state and an equal number of civil society leaders endorsing the Open Government Declaration and unveiling the first set of action plans, each containing specific commitments to advance open government reforms. Since then, OGP has expanded to 77 countries, 150 local governments, and thousands of civil society organizations. OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism ensures accountability by providing comprehensive, impartial reports that assess government progress on these commitments.