BAGUIO CITY — All of the 189 national government agencies (NGAs) are now fully compliant with the Freedom of Information (FOI) law as of March 6, 2018, giving Filipinos an easier time accessing public data from these offices.
Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary for Policy and Special Concerns Kristian Ablan disclosed this to Baguio City media on Tuesday.
Ablan, also the director of the government’s Freedom of Information (FOI) program, said all of these NGAs had submitted their respective FOI manuals.
Ablan said in the one year and six months of implementation of the FOI program, the government has focused on NGAs, thus, the 100-percent compliance rate.
He said the focus now would be shifted to government offices under the executive branch, which have yet to fully comply with the submission of their FOI manuals.
Ablan cited that 83 out of 120 government-owned and controlled corporations, or 68 percent, are so far FOI-compliant.
Ninety-nine out of 113 state universities and colleges are now compliant, or 88 percent, while 175 of all 500 local water districts nationwide, or 35 percent, have so far complied with the FOI law.
“FOI tries to rebuild the foundation of trust between citizens and government,” Ablan said. “If government allows itself to be open and vulnerable, then the citizens will be more trusting.”
Signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 23, 2016, the FOI Executive Order aims to uphold the constitutional right of Filipinos to information on matters of public concern.
FOI is an integral element of the Duterte administration’s governance plan to have reforms and initiatives that pursue greater transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.
Through this, the citizens are empowered to make a formal request to get public information, except in sensitive areas affecting national security.
In availing of the FOI services, anyone, especially those from the provinces, is spared from the hassle of traveling to Metro Manila by simply doing it online. One only has to log on to the official FOI website. Once logged on, the requesting party can answer questions online and mention one’s full name, contact information, and preferred mode of communication.
The FOI is also deemed by the government as a means to counter the so-called “fake news”. (PNA)
