CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Aurora has become the first province in the country to institutionalize the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) through a local ordinance, embedding transparency, accountability, and citizen participation into its governance framework.

Provincial Ordinance No. 2026-646 formally integrates the principles of transparency, accountability, participatory planning, open budgeting, and citizen engagement into the regular operations of the provincial government.

The measure forms part of Governor Sid Galban's Eight-Point Agenda on good governance and was principally authored by Vice Governor Patrick Alexis Angara.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government-Central Luzon and the Philippine Open Government Partnership recognized the ordinance as a landmark initiative, saying Aurora has set a national benchmark for open and collaborative governance.

Provincial officials said the ordinance aims to strengthen public trust by institutionalizing mechanisms that encourage greater transparency, public participation, and accountability in local governance.

The provincial government also hopes the measure will serve as a model for other local government units seeking to adopt open government principles in their own governance systems.