LAOAG CITY -- The Ilocos Norte government is set to receive an award as one of the champions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) program a year after its implementation nationwide.
Jun Arvin Gudoy, Communications and Media Office chief of Ilocos Norte, confirmed this on Wednesday as provincial officials, led by Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda Josefa Marcos, are expected to attend the recognition rites at the Rizal Park Hotel, Manila on December 4.
The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) under the FOI Program Director and Assistant Secretary Atty. Kristian Ablan initiated the search for FOI champions to recognize the significant contributions of departments, attached agencies, government-owned-and/or-controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, and local government units in operationalizing the constitutional mandate of right to information.
Based on established criteria, the screening committee composed of representatives from the Office of the Executive Secretary, the PCOO, and two civil society organizations evaluated the nominees.
The December 4 FOI Awards Night is part of the three-day FOI Summit organized by the PCOO and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that aims to celebrate the first anniversary of the FOI Program since it was launched on November 25, 2016.
The FOI Bill was signed for implementation through Executive Order No. 02, Series 2016, by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last July.
It recognizes "the fundamental role of free and open exchange of information in a democracy" and through it the government aims to "enhance transparency and accountability in government official acts, transactions, or decisions.”
While the bill only covers the state's executive branch, it also encouraged LGUs to implement the same.
Ilocos Norte is among the first provinces in the country to implement the right of access to information as its provincial board passed Provincial Ordinance No. 002-2016 in September 2016, now being observed by all departments of the provincial government, including the 21 towns and two cities here.
Amid the controversies the Ilocos Norte government got into concerning the alleged misuse of tobacco excise tax, Marcos said she is grateful to receive the FOI award, promoting transparency and accountability in government. (PNA)
NOVEMBER 2017
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Topic: Ilocos Norte, other FOI champions feted next week (Read 255 times)