The Philippines has cemented its position as a global leader in budget transparency, oversight, and public participation in the budget process in Southeast Asia based on the recently published 2023 Open Budget Survey (OBS) results.

The Philippines climbed 7 points in the OBS for transparency, garnering an open budget index score of 75 out of 100. 

This is a marked improvement from the score of 68 in 2021, beating the government’s target score of 71 under the Philippine Development Plan 2023 - 2028. 

This secured the top spot for budget transparency for the Philippines, making it the most fiscally transparent country not just in Southeast Asia, but in the whole of Asia. It also ranked 15th place worldwide, significantly exceeding the global average score of 45.

This is the result of the timely and comprehensive publication by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) of all key budget documents, including the pre-budget statement, proposed and enacted budget, in-year and mid-year reports, and the People’s Budget series. This is in line with the commitment of the DBM to having an open government and ensuring accessibility of budget documents to the public.