eLegis and the Institutionalization of Open Local Legislative Data in the Philippines

Enacted ordinances and approved resolutions are public records, yet they are among the hardest government documents to find. Each Secretary to the Sanggunian keeps the records of only one LGU. The Local Government Code requires local measures to be posted and published to take effect, but it does not require LGUs to keep them available and searchable afterward. Local budgets and procurement are disclosed under the Full Disclosure Policy. Local legislation has no similar rule. The eLegis is developed by the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) and the Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG) to serve as a national online repository of enacted ordinances and resolutions. As of November 6, 2026, it holds more than 82,000 ordinances and resolutions from 456 LGUs, and the record grows as more LGUs join and upload their measures. Local legislators and sanggunian secretariats use it to see what other LGUs have enacted, maintain records across terms, and prepare new measures. DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2026-041 encourages city and municipal sanggunians to submit their measures. eLegis was built for local legislators and their staff, and citizens do not yet have access. This brief recommends building on eLegis and on existing disclosure systems. Enacted ordinances can be added to the Full Disclosure Policy and the Seal of Good Local Governance. The E-Governance Act can set a common data standard for local legislative records, and guidance is needed on how to share these records. Direction is also needed on citizen access to enacted local measures.