South Cotabato is recognized as one of the pioneer provinces in the Philippines to embrace the Open Government Partnership (OGP) — a global initiative that promotes transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.
The province officially joined the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) in 2016, aligning with the national government’s call for local governments to adopt open governance principles. This milestone marked South Cotabato’s commitment to making governance more participatory and data-driven, anchored on the vision of a government that listens, engages, and empowers its people.
In 2018, South Cotabato was recognized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine OGP Steering Committee as one of the first Local Government Champions of Open Government, citing its innovative transparency measures and participatory governance practices.
To further strengthen access to information, the Provincial Government adopted the Freedom of Information (FOI) Program in 2019, making South Cotabato one of the first local governments in Mindanao to institutionalize FOI at the provincial level. This initiative ensures that citizens can formally request access to government-held data and records, fostering greater public trust and accountability.
In the years that followed, South Cotabato continued to demonstrate its leadership in open governance:
Today, the Open Government and FOI Corner of the South Cotabato official website serves as a digital portal where citizens can:
Through these continuing efforts, South Cotabato proudly upholds its legacy as a champion of open government and freedom of information — empowering every citizen to take part in shaping a government that truly serves its people.
A key feature of our governance model is our partnership with civil society organizations (CSOs).
We do not only involve them in government processes; we equip them through the CSO Academy, ensuring that citizen representatives are informed, capable, and truly empowered to participate in local decision-making.
There must always be checks and balances, redundancy, and transparency to eliminate corruption at every level of government.
