Transparency reforms: The case of the Philippine Department of Budget and Management (DBM)

Date of Publication

4-16-2019

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Development Policy

Subject Categories

Administrative Law | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Political Science

Thesis Adviser

Francisco A. Magno

Defense Panel Chair

Vincent C. Batalla

Defense Panel Member

Edwin P. Santiago
Alejandro Christian D. Soler

Abstract/Summary

Transparency in government is a condition of being able to easily access public information which is disclosed in a manner that is timely and comprehensive. It also covers the openness in the decision-making processes and greater citizen involvement in government. In contemporary public administration, transparency has become widely recognized as the cure against corruption. Today, in an era that has witnessed the emergence of technological advancements amid corruption cases in government, citizens in many countries have been actively pushing their respective governments to become more transparent and accountable.
In the case of the Philippines, transparency reforms in national budget management have been continuously undertaken since 1986. However, it was during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016) that the biggest number and extent of reforms were introduced, including a series of reforms in public financial management (PFM) applied with information and communications technology (ICT), for the purpose of addressing the problems of corruption and poverty in the Philippines and of improving the quality of governance through citizen participation.
Interestingly, the recent Open Budget Survey shows that budget transparency has been improving in the Philippines, made possible through the government’s increased use of new systems and technologies. But, while there is clear indication that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is now more transparent relative to its counterparts in other Asian countries, there remains a need for improvement in certain areas, like in terms of legislative oversight in the budget process. At any rate, the improvements made by the Philippines thus far in budget transparency since the term of Aquino III are, by international standards, quite impressive and, as such, carry many long-term political and economic implications that will affect the lives of ordinary Filipino citizens.
Using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this study aims to find out and relate how transparency in DBM has improved over the years since 1986 – including the triggers and determinants of reforms – resulting in the Philippines now being ranked number 1 in Asia in terms of government budget transparency. This study also probes into the challenges faced by the DBM in terms of sustaining its accomplishments in government budget transparency, as well as how fiscal transparency in the allocation of funds has promoted citizen engagement in the Philippines that will hopefully result in a marked decline in incidences of corruption in government and a better country governance in the years to come.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Accession Number

CDTG005587

Keywords

Transparency (Ethics) in government--Philippines; Public administration--Philippines; Philippines. Department of Budget and Management—Administration

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Embargo Period

2-10-2025

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