Aquino side by side with Obama at New York event

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday (Tuesday in New York) met with United States President Barack Obama during the formal launching of the Open Government Partnership. Aquino was seated beside Obama during the event held at Waldorf Astoria Hotel together with leaders of seven countries that comprise the OGP steering committee. The OGP, chaired by Obama and co-chaired by Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. In his remarks during the launch, President Aquino said the Philippines’ participation in the OGP is a symbol of his administration’s commitment to honest and effective governance. “It presents clear advantages to the Philippines: we can access and exchange best practices, peer consultation, and technical assistance in implementing our domestic initiatives," he said. President Aquino said it was the idea of open government that catapulted him to power in May 2010. “[It was that idea] that rallied the Filipino people in droves, not in the streets but through the ballot, to vote for me, then a member of the opposition, so that the Filipino people, and not merely participants in the long-entrenched system of patronage and corruption, could finally emerge victorious," he said. He added that his administration is pushing for accountability by committing to uphold the highest ethical standards in government and achieving measurable performance targets and outcomes. “To uphold accountability, we have taken a two-pronged approach, focusing on the curative and the preventive. As we vigorously pursue our campaign against those who abused power in the past, we are also strengthening institutions through Open Government," the President said. He said his administration created a roadmap — the 2012 Philippine Government Action Plan — to ensure that government institutions are at par with international transparency standards. He said the action plan was developed through consultation with networks of civil society organizations as well as business groups engaged in the integrity advocacy. “We recognize that this action plan is a work-in-progress. The long-standing culture of corruption and concealment that had taken root will take time to change. But rest assured, before its implementation in January 2012, the plan will have gone through even deeper consultations," President Aquino said. He added all the efforts are indicators of how serious his administration is in transforming the system “from one that operates through secrecy, impunity, and collusion, into a government that embodies transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement—a government that truly exists for its people." “The Philippines has always been, and remains committed to, the ideals put forward by the OGP. Being part of a global community of transparency advocates is more than a source of collective strength for us; it also allows our government to strengthen its efforts and find opportunities for cooperation with its peers," he added. He admitted that a lot remains to be done “ but so long as we stand firmly united in veering away from a jagged path of dishonesty and concealment; and so long as we run governments focused on righting the wrong and staying along the straight path, the coming generations will surely inherit a more peaceful, prosperous, and open world." The OGP aims to: 1) increase the availability of information about the government activities, 2) support civic participation, 3) implement the highest standards of professional integrity throughout the respective administrations of its members; and, 4) increase access to new technologies for openness and accountability. — KBK, GMA News