Reception Hall, PICC, Pasay City
15 January 2014

President Benigno S. Aquino III led the launching of the Cashless Purchase Card Program and the Open Government Data Philippines at the Good Governance Summit held in PICC, Pasay City.

Aiming to promote accountability and transparency, the CPC Program is a mechanism that modernizes government procurement while the Open Data Philippines, which is accessible through www.data.gov.ph, will be a platform that will collate all relevant government data and information.

“Through the Cashless Purchase Cards and other similar reforms, government financial transactions should be 100 percent checkless and 80 percent cashless before the end of this year,” said President Aquino in his keynote speech.

He said that data gathered through CPCs will serve as the lifeblood of Open Data Philippines. The website is publicly available, has up-to-date national data and with budget and procurement data.

The President also noted that his administration is continuing to reform badly outdated systems and processes for they are susceptible to abuse, which could lead to inefficiency, wastage, and opportunities for the unscrupulous to steal from the nation’s coffers.

“Government exists precisely to improve the lot of the people they swore to serve and from whom they received their mandate. We continue to ask ourselves these questions: How do we plug leaks in systems to prevent graft and corruption? How do we make our processes that much more efficient?” said the President as he addressed hundreds of summit participants.

The Good Governance Summit is a three-day gathering of Philippine governance and procurement stakeholders, development partners, Open Data experts, and public procurement practitioners, towards strengthening cooperation and commitment in fostering good governance.

***