The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) of the Philippines bested all others in Asia in terms of budget transparency in 2017 under the Open Budget Survey (OBS) done by the International Budget Partnership (IBP).
According to the DBM, the results of the OBS 2017 showed the Philippines with an Open Budget Index (OBI) of 67 out of 100, effectively securing the top spot in Asia for budget 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,” Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said.
The Philippines’s 2017 OBI of 67 is three points higher than its score in 2015 of only 64 points.
The DBM said is now first in Asia followed by Indonesia with 64 points, Jordan with 63, Japan with 60 and South Korea with 60.
In 2015 the Philippines ranked first in the Asean region, second in Asia after South Korea with 65 points and 22nd worldwide.
The OBS is a biennial survey conducted by the IBP and assesses budget transparency based on the amount and timeliness of budget information governments make available to the public.
The IBP collaborates with civil societies around the world to analyze and influence public budgets in order to reduce poverty and improve the quality of governance.
After being evaluated against 109 equally weighted indicators, each country receives a composite score that determines its ranking in the OBI.
The survey also measures the extent of public participation in the country’s budget process and budget oversight by the legislature and the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI).
The Philippines’s boasts a score of 41 for Public Participation, more than three times the global average at 12. It is one of only four countries to achieve a moderate score in the category, sharing this distinction with New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.