The Philippines has taken the top spot for budget transparency in Asia, based on the latest results of the 2023 Open Budget Survey (OBS).
The Philippines climbed seven points in the OBS for transparency, garnering an open budget index score of 75 out of 100.
This improved from the score of 68 in 2021, beating the government’s target score of 71 under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
The country also ranked 15th place worldwide, significantly exceeding the global average score of 45.
Meanwhile, the Philippines obtained the sixth spot in the world for budget oversight with a composite score of 83 out of 100, next to Norway, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Brazil and Georgia.
In the same survey, the country also maintained its lead in Southeast Asia for public participation and ranked 13th worldwide, with a score of 33 out of 100, significantly higher than the global average score of 15.
“This is very welcome news. Rest assured that the DBM will continue its best practices in ensuring a transparent, participatory, and accountable People’s Budget,” Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.
The OBS is the world’s only independent, comparative and fact-based research instrument that uses internationally accepted criteria to assess public access to central government budget information; formal opportunities for the public to participate in the national budget process; and the role of budget oversight institutions, such as legislatures and national audit offices, in the budget process.
