President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered national government agencies to publish their budget, procurement, and project data on the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) COMPASS portal, making it the government’s unified platform for spending disclosures.
Executive Order (EO) No. 126, signed September 28, covers national agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and government financial institutions, which are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of what they submit. Local governments are only encouraged to participate.
The order says COMPASS “may utilize distributed ledger technology, including but not limited to blockchain or other emerging technologies,” to publish the information. It doesn’t require any specific technology.
DBM launched COMPASS on June 26 to let the public track spending by department, agency, funding source, and purpose. It will now also cover procurement, financial performance, and project implementation and completion status, and must interface with systems including the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, the Budget and Treasury Management System, and the eGovPH App.
Information protected by law, including on national security and data privacy, stays exempt. Agencies that withhold or redact data must publish a log stating the legal basis, the approving authority, and the date.
A new COMPASS Council, chaired by DBM with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as co-chair, will set disclosure timelines and monitor compliance. Noncompliance may be grounds for administrative and disciplinary sanctions.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government, a council member with the Department of Finance, will urge local governments to use COMPASS and, if applicable, make disclosure a criterion for the Seal of Good Local Governance.
EO 126 takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. The council must issue implementing guidelines within 60 days of the order taking effect.