MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has officially institutionalized a central online platform designed to allow citizens to track the allocation and usage of government funds.
Under Executive Order No. 126, the Centralized Open Monitoring Platform for Appropriations and Spending Statistics (COMPASS) Portal will serve as the state’s unified digital repository for budget allocations, actual expenditures, procurement details, and project performance metrics.
”The Portal shall promote transparency, accountability, and public participation by providing timely, reliable, and user-friendly access to government financial and performance information across the budget cycle,” the executive order stated.
Originally launched by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on June 26, the digital tool enables users to search financial data categorized by agency, purpose, funding sources, and fiscal years.
Under the new directive, the portal is authorized to integrate advanced technologies—including blockchain—to protect data security and prevent tampering.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto emphasized the significance of opening government books to the public eye.
”Every peso comes from the people. They should be able to see where it goes, what it pays for, and what government delivers in return,” Recto said in a statement.
Speaking at a news briefing on Thursday, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro noted that the initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to open governance, stating that “the President is showing that the government has nothing to hide” and that “public funds are open to the public and to anyone who wants to know where they are being spent.”
The mandate applies to all national agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, and state financial institutions, while local government units are encouraged to participate. The portal will track public-private partnerships and foreign-assisted initiatives involving public funds, though exceptions apply to confidential information concerning national security and data privacy.
To enforce compliance, the directive creates the COMPASS Council—led by the DBM alongside the DICT, DILG, and DOF—to oversee operations, formulate data standards, and enforce disclosure timelines. Public officials who fail to update or submit required information face administrative sanctions.
The council, alongside civil society and industry representatives, is expected to publish implementing guidelines within 60 days.