Administrator and CEO Hussein P. Pangandaman of the state-owned Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) expressed his proactive role in supporting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s initiatives aimed at fostering ethical governance and strengthening institutional frameworks to combat corruption during Tuesday’s 5th State Conference on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) held in Malacañang.

The UNCAC is an international anti-corruption treaty ratified, accepted, approved, and acceded to by at least 180 countries worldwide, including the Philippines.

Administrator Pangandaman and Deputy Administrator for Support Services Malou L. Herrera joined key government officials and stakeholders at the 5th State Conference on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Implementation and Review, held Tuesday, 3 December 2024, at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace.

The conference highlighted the presentation and implementation of the Integrity Management Plan (IMP) vision overseen by the Office of the President - Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs (OP-ODESLA).

Marcos said the country continues to honor its obligation to UNCAC through the IMP, which he described as a tool to enhance both individual and systems integrity across the bureaucracy, saying the government is employing a “two-pronged approach” in the fight against corruption – digitalization and people participation.

Pres. Marcos said streamlining and digitalizing government processes would minimize the avenues of corruption as government transactions become more transparent and accessible to the public.

For his part, AFAB Administrator Pangandaman said that with the theme “Pagpapatibay ng Kultura ng Integridad sa Bagong Pilipinas,” the conference aimed to strengthen the national anti-corruption framework by gathering advocates and stakeholders across the three branches of government and constitutional commissions. It also served as a platform for discussing the country’s compliance with the UNCAC treaty obligations, emphasizing the promotion of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

Administrator Pangandaman’s attendance emphasized AFAB’s proactive role in supporting national initiatives aimed at fostering ethical governance and strengthening institutional frameworks to combat corruption.