Open Gov Week: Fostering collective action

(Part II)

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Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Great news! Barely a week after commemorating Open Government Week (OGW), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) issued Proclamation No. 916, declaring the third week of May of every year as OGW.

In the Proclamation dated May 29, 2025, the President underscored the right of our people and organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making as mandated by our Constitution. This manifests the President's sincerity and determination to empower ordinary Filipinos to participate in our country's governance processes.

OGW 2025 highlights

In last week's article, I shared that the conduct of the OGW 2025, held from May 19 to 23, was a success in raising awareness about Open Government principles. It encouraged government agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), and other sectors to showcase achievements, strengthen partnerships, and promote innovations aligned with the values and goals of OGP.

I am truly happy and proud of this year's observance, as we gathered diverse voices in 29 partner-led sessions, reflecting gender balance and cross-sector representation, aligned with the Open Gov Challenge policy areas. These sessions focused on local governance, youth participation, women's empowerment and inclusivity, justice, innovation, public procurement, among others. Hence, allow me to share some highlights of the weeklong celebration.