Philippine budget process: Less and less transparent

OUR latest report focuses on the increasing lack of transparency in the budget and financial processes of the Philippine government, a situation that allows citizens no opportunity to hold officials accountable for
possible abuse, misuse and corruption of public funds.

The Philippines is considered to be the freest democracy in Southeast Asia but ironically, it has become less an less transparent in its budget and financial processes.

This report summarizes the findings of the Open Budget Survey 2008 that analyzed the budget processes of 85 countries. The project was conducted by the Washington-based International Budget Partnership (IBP) in cooperation with independent media and research agencies in as many countries. The PCIJ authored the Philippine report.

The 2008 survey showed that the Philippines ranked only No. 34 in the list of 85 countries, and slid three percentage points from its 51-percent score in 2006. The Philippines was outranked by Indonesia but came ahead of Thailand and Malaysia in the 2008 Survey.

The PCIJ report on the Philippines comes with a sidebar on budget reform issues that have come up on the eve of the ratification by President Arroyo of the P1.4-trillion general appropriations act for 2009.

Read on at pcij.org.