Manila hosting open gov’t meet

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has formally opened the registration for the 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting.

The Philippines will host the conference in Manila from 5 to 7 February. Discussions will focus on practices for fostering a democratic, open and accountable government.

Heads of state, government leaders, civil society leaders, and policymakers from across the region are expected to attend the event. Global and regional partners have also been invited to exchange experiences, best practices, and progress on open government initiatives and key issues.

“The agenda will feature a mix of high-level and ministerial sessions, interactive breakout sessions, networking opportunities and side events,” the OGP said on its website.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who also serves as the chairperson of OGP-Philippines, will lead the event.

Since its inception, the OGP conference has expanded to include 75 national members and 150 local members, growing from an initial group of eight government leaders and nine civil society leaders.

The PCO has also invited the public to join the OGP fun run, which will be held at the Quirino Grandstand on 26 January.

The fun run will offer three distances with corresponding registration fees: 3 kilometers (P700), 5 kilometers (P800) and 10 kilometers (P1,000). Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Philippine Red Cross.