ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- The Freedom of Information (FOI) program reinforces the right of every Filipino to have access to information, official records, public records, and to documents and papers pertaining to officials’ acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development.

This was stated during the FOI orientation as part of the 2022 Western Visayas Information Officers' Year-end Conference and Awards, Dec. 28.

The implementation of FOI, by virtue of Executive Order No. 2 series of 2016, serves as the platform for disclosure of information to the public.

Per report, the compliance of FOI under the national government agencies currently is at 99 percent, 93 percent to government-owned and controlled corporations, 97 percent among state universities and colleges, and 50 percent among the local water districts.

As to date, there are 102,594 e-FOI users nationwide with 147,258 requests filed through the portal while there is a total of 53,209 standard or paper-based requests submitted.

Through the present administration, the FOI program was transferred from then Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

By 2023, the FOI, together with the PIA, is set to conduct various programs and projects such as Training of Trainers, Transparency Roadshow, Barangay FOI, LGU FOI Conference, and FOI Campus Caravan through the PIA's regional offices. (JBG/AGP/PIA 6)