UNCAC in action: Philippines’ digital reforms advance anti-corruption commitments

When the Philippines ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2006, we made what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently called “a bold commitment to fight corruption not just within our borders but alongside a global community of nations.” Today, that commitment has evolved into concrete action through digital governance reforms that effectively implement UNCAC principles.

At the 5th State Conference on UNCAC Implementation and Review held in Malacañang on Dec. 3, 2024, President Marcos outlined his administration’s “two-pronged approach” in the fight against corruption: streamlining and digitalizing government processes to eliminate avenues for corruption, while empowering citizens through full public disclosure. This strategy recognizes a fundamental truth: corruption thrives in opacity, while transparency fosters integrity.

Our partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the guardian of UNCAC, has been instrumental in strengthening our reform agenda. This collaboration has been particularly evident in transforming public procurement, which directly impacts our ability to build quality schools, hospitals, roads and bridges. Procurement accounts for 45 percent of public expenditure in the Philippines. So, when procurement processes are transparent and efficient, we have a huge impact, delivering better public services, improved infrastructure and enhanced health care facilities that genuinely serve our people.

The New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), signed into law on July 20, 2024, exemplifies this commitment to UNCAC principles. UNODC contributed valuable technical inputs during both its development and the formulation of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs), helping ensure alignment with Article 9 on “Public Procurement and Management of Public Finances” of the UNCAC. The law enhances the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) with end-to­ end digital processes and introduces an innovative e-Marketplace modeled after popular e-commerce platforms.

A key innovation in the NGPA is the mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership information. All bidders, suppliers, contractors and consultants must now identify their ultimate owners before participating in government procurement. This groundbreaking provision directly addresses bid collusion, where different companies controlled by the same individual bid against each other for the same contract. It also helps reveal hidden conflicts of interest that might compromise the integrity of the procurement process.

For citizens, this means greater assurance that public funds aren’t being diverted through shadow companies or manipulated bidding. For honest businesses, it creates a more level playing field where merit rather than connections determines who wins government contracts.

These reforms directly respond to recommendations from our second UNCAC review cycle completed in 2023. Implementation is already yielding results, with the Philippines now ranking sixth among 18 countries in the Asia Pacific Digital Nations Index and leading Southeast Asian nations in digital governance.

We’ve extended digital transformation beyond procurement. The eGov PH Super App integrates services from various agencies into a single platform. For citizens, this means accessing government services without spending days traveling between offices or waiting in long lines. Senior citizens can renew their IDs from home, parents can register births without taking time off work and entrepreneurs can secure permits more efficiently.

Project DIME (Data for Implementing, Monitoring and Evaluation) enables citizens to monitor government projects in real-time using satellite imagery, drones and geospatial data. This transparency ensures that infrastructure projects genuinely meet community needs – roads are built to proper specifications, school buildings follow safety standards and irrigation systems properly serve agricultural areas.

Our digital initiatives address multiple dimensions of UNCAC – promoting transparency through open contracting (Article 9), ensuring responsive public services (Article 10), strengthening integrity in public administration (Article 7) and supporting citizen participation (Article 13). They democratize access to government services regardless of location or socioeconomic status, ensuring that remote and vulnerable communities receive equal benefits from public services.

However, as President Marcos emphasized, digital tools alone cannot defeat corruption without deeper cultural change. Technology must be paired with Filipino values of “katapatan, malasakit, pakikipag-kapwa and bayanihan” to create lasting impact. When government officials embody these values, citizens receive respectful service, fair treatment and equal access to opportunities.

Collaborating with international partners, such as the United Nations, is essential. Multilateralism helps create platforms for countries to learn from each other, exchange best practices while adapting solutions and global standards to local contexts.

As we advance our vision of “Bagong Pilipinas,” the Philippines’ experience offers valuable lessons on how digital transformation empowers citizens, creates transparency and establishes accountability. Through continued engagement with UNCAC processes, we are building public institutions worthy of our people’s trust – ensuring that government truly serves those it is meant to represent.

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Lucas Bersamin is the Executive Secretary and former Chief Justice.