LA TRINIDAD, Benguet(PIA)--The Presidential Communications Operations Office(PCOO)  thru the Freedom of Information Program Management Office (FOI-PMO) rolled out the Barangay FOI  campaign at the  Benguet Provincial Capitol  in  this  capital town on Monday(June 28). 

PCOO Undersecretary and FOI Program Director Kristian Ablan and Asec  Marie Rafael led the launching with  an FOI orientation to the different stakeholders in the province and   turn over  of the Barangay FOI Kiosk and  information materials to Governor Melchor Diclas with Board Members Fernando Balaodan and Jeston Balong-angey.  

The Barangay FOI Kiosk is a symbol that the local government unit is a partner of transparency and accountability in the continuing advocacy of the FOI.

Ablan said that this year, the awareness campaign on the FOI is intensified thru the Barangay FOI program which brings the FOI advocacy closer to the people. This is    piloted in the province of Benguet.

“Ngayong taon 2021, mas pinaigting ng aming tanggapan ang awareness campaign tungkol sa FOI bilang ang mamamayan ang pangunahing consumers ng impormasyon. Inilalapit po namin sa inyo ang FOI bilang isang transparency initiative ng ating gobyerno,” (This year 2021, our office has intensified the awareness campaign on the FOI as the citizens are the primary consumers of information. We are bringing you the FOI as a transparency initiative of the government) Ablan said.

The FOI, he said, is a legacy of the Duterte Administration to promote transparency and accountability of the government to its citizens.

Ablan presented Executive Order No. 2 or the EO on FOI signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2016 that aims to provide full public disclosure of all government records involving public interest, provided that it shall not put into jeopardy privacy and matters of national security.  He also discussed how the public could access the different information they need to obtain from the government.

As Filipino citizens, we have the constitutional right to ask information from the government, Ablan said as he enjoined the participants from the different sectors and municipalities to be part of the growing community of transparency and accountability seekers.

Balaodan also presented the salient features of the FOI ordinance of Benguet and encouraged the public to access the FOI  program  for the  information they  need.

Rafael commended the province of Benguet for being the second province in the country to pass its own FOI ordinance in 2018.

“In behalf of Secretary Martin Andanar and the PCOO, we commend the provincial government of Benguet for passing Provincial Ordinance No. 88234 and we encourage the local government units of Benguet to pass their FOI ordinances and register with the e-FOI Portal and partner with us. Having an FOI ordinance translate to a transparent local government which increases a degree of trust to our constituents,” Rafael said.

Diclas thanked the PCOO for conducting the FOI orientation to Benguet stakeholders. He assured that the provincial government is promoting transparency and accountability  allowing  public to access information  thru its  FOI as well as thru the traditional and social media and other means.

The governor encouraged the Barangay FOI participants to inform other people in their barangays about the FOI program so that more  people will access information that they need from the government. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)