FEF Fellows Meeting Tackles Local Good Governance Initiatives

September 17, 2025 – Makati City — The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) held its Fellows Meeting at the Manila Golf Club, with guest speakers Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Isabela de Basilan City Mayor Sitti Djalia Hataman. Both are convenors of the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG), a network of local chief executives committed to strengthening transparency and accountability in local governance.

Mayor Magalong traced the origins of M4GG, which was formally launched in August 2023 by a group of mayors nationwide who pledged to uphold the principles of good governance and serve the best interests of their constituents.

He also discussed efforts in Baguio City to institutionalize transparency and citizen participation. In 2024, Baguio joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global coalition of 75 countries, 150 local governments, and over a thousand civil society organizations, making it one of only four Philippine LGUs in the network. Under its first OGP Local Action Plan (2024–2025), the city committed to initiatives such as developing a household waste tracking app, co-creating a pedestrian traffic discipline manual, introducing education modules on sustainability and livability, and institutionalizing the Baguio City People’s Council. In line with these commitments, the city is also preparing to adopt an open data policy as part of its strategy to strengthen transparency and address corruption. Magalong noted that curbing corruption and fostering transparency is also a significant step in making Baguio more attractive to investors.

Mayor Hataman, meanwhile, presented Good Governance Isabela (Go-GO), a flagship initiative under the city’s broader Information Revolution (INFO REVO) Program. Go-GO seeks to raise public awareness of governance processes and encourage citizens to demand accountability from their leaders. Since its launch in July 2024, the program has engaged more than 2,000 participants across 45 barangays, including representatives from civil society, youth groups, and government agencies.

“Ang paniniwala namin is that good governance must be a demand from the people. For them to understand what good governance is, they have to understand how government works, ‘yung budgeting, ‘yung process na pinagdadaanan,” Hataman said.

Magalong also spoke about his newly appointed role as Special Adviser to the President, in which he will serve as investigator for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). The commission was recently created to examine alleged irregularities in flood control projects over the past decade.

The FEF Fellows Meetings are regularly conducted to provide a venue for discussion among members, who include economists, former and current government officials, academics, business leaders, and opinion makers. The meetings aim to generate dialogue on pressing policy and governance issues in the country.