OLONGAPO CITY (PIA) -- The Freedom of Information (FOI) Program Management Office (PMO) of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) conducted a Transparency Roadshow in Olongapo City.
About 180 officials and employees of the city government, representatives of the barangays and civil society organizations, and members of the media attended the first leg in Central Luzon, which aims to inform and engage communities and organizations on the transparency initiatives of the government.
PCO Assistant Secretary for Operations Evangeline De Leon emphasized that the right to information is one of the constitutional rights enshrined in the 1987 constitution.
“Access to information is a cornerstone in a democracy, empowering individuals to participate actively in the governance of the nation. It is a vital tool for citizens to hold their government accountable and ensure transparency and accountability in public affairs," she said.
De Leon encouraged the participants to be advocates of FOI their respective institutions and communities.
For his part, Mayor Rolen Paulino stressed that transparency and good governance is the city government's guiding principle. "Being open and transparent to the public is part of public service and no document is supposed to be hidden or secret," he said.
During the roadshow, FOI-PMO Division Chief Krizia Casey Avejar discussed Executive Order No. 2, series of 2016 otherwise known as the implementation of the FOI Program and its localization.
Moreover, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) FOI Officer Andro Santiago shared his agency’s GIS web app as well as other programs relative to transparency. He said these were helpful in regaining the trust of the public to DPWH.
And lastly, Department of Health Career Development and Management Division Chief . Queenie Dyan Raagas gave an overview of her agency’s National Health Workforce Support System, which ensures that health workers have access to quality health services particularly those in the countryside. (CLJD/RGP-PIA 3)
