JRIG, PH-OGP organizes knowledge sharing activities on freedom of information and open government principles
MANILA CITY, PHILIPPINES — The De La Salle University - Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance, as part of the Academe in the Non-Government Steering Committee of the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), held two separate roundtable discussions on advancing open government through access to information and knowledge partnerships held in April and May 2025.
Freedom of information for open government
Held as a dialogue to strengthen the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, the roundtable discussion event titled, “Advancing Open Governance through Access to Information,” was organized to provide updates on the FOI Bill and engage with pertinent stakeholders on its important role in the academes access to information.
IN PHOTO: JRIG Program Manager John Benedict Felices mediates the “Advancing Open Governance through Access to Information” roundtable discussion on the FOI Bill.
JRIG Director Dr. Francisco Magno emphasized how the FOI Bill could facilitate research that would promote accountability and transparency in the government. Dr. Magno was joined by Ms. Sabrinam Feliciano from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) who also expressed the relevance of the bill in providing Filipinos with various kinds of information and data helpful for public monitoring.
The event was facilitated by JRIG Program Manager John Benedict Felices and attended by participants from several academic and government institutions all over the country.
Universities mobilizing open government
Along with this, the JRIG and PH-OGP also co-organized a forum titled, “Universities as Catalysts: Advancing Open Government Principles through Knowledge Partnerships” in celebration of Open Gov Week 2025. The event convened universities and government institutions in co-creating initiatives that would document open government practices, initiatives, and data-driven policies.
IN PHOTO (L-R): JRIG Director Dr. Francisco Magno and Ms. Gen Renella Leaño leads the discussion as panelists on universities’ role in steering open government at the “Universities as Catalysts: Advancing Open Government Principles through Knowledge Partnerships Forum” as part of Open Gov Week 2025.
Participants for the event were welcomed by then-Department of Budget and Management Secretary Sec. Amenah Pangandaman who also happens to be the then-Chair of the PH-OGP Steering Committee. In her message, former Sec. Pangandaman underscored the critical role of the academe in championing government-civil society partnership.
The forum was led by esteemed panelists including JRIG Director Dr. Francisco Magno, Visayas State University President Dr. Pros Ivy Guasa-Yepes, Caraga State University President Dr. Rolyn C. Daguil, JRIG Senior Fellow and Consultant Prof. Ed Nuque, and Ms. Gen Renella Leaño from the Governance Reform, Innovation and Transformation Research Laboratories (GRIT Labs) of the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP NCPAG).
The forum was moderated by Ms. Hazel Duya, then-researcher from the Institute. DLSU-CLA Dean Dr. Ador Torneo also expressed institutional support in the active participation of JRIG in open government initiatives in his closing statement.