Open Government in the Philippines: Prospects and Challenges

G-Watch convened more than 50 participants coming from civil society organizations (both national and local, including those from the eight local sites of G-Watch), academe, and government (current and former), in a round table discussion on the challenges and prospects of open government in the Philippines. The discussion took off from the presentation of the research conducted by G-Watch and the Making All Voices Count (MAVC) in 2016, Going vertical: citizen-led reform campaigns in the Philippines, which looked at seven advocacy campaigns, and involved diverse, broad-based civic and social actors, engaged with multiple levels and branches of government. These initiatives emphasized citizen power, to generate scale and sustainability. The uncertain future of open government reforms in the Philippines raises questions about how citizen power can promote more sustainable change.