This paper examines the Philippine government's use of open government data (OGD) in response to Typhoon Haiyan. It analyzes government websites and portals containing data on relief efforts to see if they meet international open data standards and public needs. The study finds shortcomings in timely updating of data and machine-readability. It also finds inconsistencies across reports from different disaster agencies. The paper recommends greater coordination between agencies, improved data formats, and more real-time tracking of international aid funds to enhance transparency.

1. Tracking Typhoon Haiyan:
Open Government Data in Disaster
Response and Recovery
Rachel E. Khan
College of Mass Communication
University of the Philippines, Diliman

2. This paper presents a Case Study on Philippine Open
Government Data (OGD), with a focus on disaster management
in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

3. Background of the Study
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said, "We’re
supposed to give government data to the public and it is
our duty to disclose it” (Speech at the Open Data PH
forum, Malacanang, 25 February 2014).

4. Background of the Study
The General Appropriations Act of 2012, Section 93 requires
government agencies to strive for transparency and enforce
accountability via a so-called Transparency Seal, a symbol on
government agency website that indicate that it contains public
information deemed vital by the law.

5. Background of the Study
The National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council
(NDRRMC), formerly known as the National Disaster
Coordinating Council (NDCC), is a working group of various
government, non-government, civil sector and private sector
organizations of the Government of the Republic of the
Philippines established by Republic Act 10121 of 2009. It is
administered by the Office of Civil Defense under the
Department of National Defense.The Council is responsible for
ensuring the protection and welfare of the people during
disasters or emergencies.

6. Statement of the Problem
Is there value and salience in the open government data
(OGD) with regards disaster risk reduction and
management, specifically with regard to Typhoon Haiyan?
The study asks the following questions:
1. What is the official policy on transparency in disaster
management?
2. What are the existing data available on Typhoon Haiyan?
3. Do these data meet the international standards for
OGD?
4. Do these data meet the needs of the general public for
information?

7. Theoretical Framework
Fenster (2015) argues that transparency as an element of good
governance cannot be solely built on traditional public
administration theory, because it is dependent on a set of
identifiable variables that revolve around the production of
information.
Common assumptions on transparency:
• Government is a producer or repository of information and can
be made to share that information;
• Government information constitutes a message that can be
isolated and disclosed;
• There is a public that awaits this information and is ready and
willing to act based on this information.
Thus the researcher attempted to combine and adopt new public
management theory along with theories currently outside the
public administration discourse.

8. Theoretical Framework
The proposed model combines Fung, Graham and Weil’s
Transparency Action Cycle (2007); Claude and Shannon's
Communication Model (1949) as well as the Grunig and Hunt
(1984) two-way symmetrical model of Public Relations.

9. Methodology:
The paper uses both qualitative and
quantitative approaches.
Primarily, the study employed the following:
a. A content analysis of Haiyan-related
government websites and portals wherein
data was measured using Open Data
principles set by the international Sunlight
Foundation (2010);
b. A purposive survey of non-government
organizations’ use of OGD;
c. In-depth interviews with government
officials involved in OGD.

10. Methodology
Open Data principles set by the international Sunlight
Foundation (2010) were used a measurement tools in the
content analysis:
• Completeness - Datasets released by the government
should reflect the entirety of what is recorded about a
particular subject.
• Primacy - Datasets released by the government should be
original data generated by the agency.
• Timeliness - Data should be up-to-date as possible and
released in a timely fashion, i.e. priority is given to data that
is time sensitive.
• Machine Readability - data is readable and “processable”,
e.g. a document stored on PDF should have Optical
Character Recognition (OCR).

11. Findings
FaiTH – Foreign Aid Transparency Hub

12. Findings
NDRRMC
(National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council)

13. .pdf file dated Dec. 31, 2013

14. Findings
Department of
SocialWelfare
and
Development
Scroll down data set,
cannot be copied,
actual size
Did not match the
summary data of the
FAiTH website

15. Summary of Findings
1. The government portals failed the Sunshine Foundation
criteria in terms of timeliness (data not updated) and
machine readability.
2. There is lack of clarity and transparency in the
prioritization of projects funded out of the NDRRMC.
3. The use of funds and assistance from international donors
and the private sector are not captured in transparency
portals.
4. Reports of the various disaster channels are incongruent.

16. Conclusion/Recommendations
1. Online hubs like FAiTH are a good step forward, as these
reflect the national government’s recognition of
transparency as a key consideration in rehabilitation efforts.
2. There is a need for greater coordination among
government agencies that are involved in disaster
management. The incongruent data is symptomatic of a
problem in the organizational structure of the NDRRMC.
3. True transparency, especially one that deals with up to
billions of pesos in international aid, should contain almost
real-time tracking of progress from the moment of receipt,
up to allocation to projects or programs, and the resulting
and penultimate tangible benefit that it has turned to.