Big-ticket projects up for public check

For transparency, accountability

MANILA, Philippines — The government is moving to make publicly available the status of various big-ticket projects to promote transparency and accountability.

In a statement, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it is set to implement the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation (DIME) project in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the University of the Philippines (UP).

The three agencies yesterday inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the project, one of DBM’s flagship digitalization initiatives.

Project DIME aims to foster enhanced transparency by providing real-time visibility on project status and progress, improving accountability and reducing the risk of delays.

It will display relevant information, including the project’s completion rate, fund source, implementing agency and name of the contractor.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the demand for progress from Filipinos increases with the advent of technology, and the government should be able to respond.

“In just one click, they can rightly demand for greater openness, transparency and accountability, especially for projects and initiatives that have significant impact in their lives,” Pangandaman said.

The project will likewise facilitate stronger collaboration among stakeholders by providing a unified platform for sharing information and updates, leading to more coordinated and effective project management.

Following the institutionalization of the Philippine Open Government Partnership, the country has committed to promote transparency, increase civic participation, fight corruption and leverage new technologies to strengthen governance.

As such, part of the government’s action plan is to establish an efficient and effective technology-enabled participatory validation and reporting mechanism for selected government infrastructure projects.

Following the MOU, the UP Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards Center will integrate disaster risk reduction strategies and ensure that government projects are resilient to natural hazards.

For its part, the DPWH will provide inputs for the enhancement of the DIME website, identify infrastructure projects with substantial accomplishments visible at the project site and collaborate with DBM on the display of projects’ obligation and disbursement rates.