PHL is Asia’s best in budget transparency

The Philippines ranks number one in Asia in terms of budget transparency scoring 67 out of 100, according to the Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2017. Globally, the Philippines holds the 19th spot among 115 countries.

Every two years, the survey — which is conducted by non-profit research group International Budget Partnership (IBP) — assesses budget transparency based on the amount and timeliness of information made available by governments to the public. It also looks into whether the public are able “to participate in the budget process at the national level.”

In a statement, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said that the government is proud of this accomplishment. He also said that this achievement will serve as encouragement for government officials to strive harder for transparency.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished to date. In surpassing our Asian neighbors, we have further cemented our position as a global leader in Open Government. It encourages us to persevere, to do even better, in the years ahead,” said Diokno.

With regards to public participation in the country’s budget process, the Philippines scored 41 out of 100 — which is more than three times the global average at 12.

Only four countries were able to achieve a moderate score in this category, namely New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.

In terms of oversight, the Philippines received a score of 65, with the IBP citing that the country’s legislature and audit institutions provide “adequate” oversight of the budget.

The OBS is produced by independent budget experts across the globe, and it utilizes internationally accepted criteria developed by multilateral organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

via GMA / Ted Cordero