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Philippines

Access to Information Legislation (PH0049)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Not Attached

Action Plan Cycle: 2017

Status: Inactive

Institutions

Lead Institution: Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Senate of the Philippines

Support Institution(s): House of Representatives, Senate of the Philippines, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, Right to Know Right Now (R2KRN)

Policy Areas

Capacity Building, E-Government, Fiscal Transparency, Legislation & Regulation, Public Participation, Right to Information

IRM Review

IRM Report: Pending IRM Review

Starred: Pending IRM Review

Early Results: Pending IRM Review

Design i

Verifiable: Pending IRM Review

Relevant to OGP Values: Not Relevant

Potential Impact: Pending IRM Review

Implementation i

Completion: Pending IRM Review

Description

What is the public problem that the commitment will address?: Section 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution emphasizes the right of the people to information on matters of public concern. However, 29 years since the first Freedom of Information (FOI) bill was filed, the Philippine Congress has yet to pass a legislation that promotes access to information.; What is the commitment?: Passage of a Freedom of Information Law; How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem?: To have Congress pass legislation on access to information which will mandate the disclosure of government information, from all three branches to the general public. Passage of the FOI Law will ensure that government efforts on transparency will become the norm and will institutionalize disclosure of government-held information. Also, enacting an FOI law shall not only foster a culture of transparency but shall empower citizen to hold government accountable by monitoring the use of public funds and the delivery of public services.; Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values?: The passage of a Freedom of Information Law is crucial for Filipino citizens to exercise their right to access governmentheld information. It empowers citizen participation in demanding for transparency and accountability from the government. The Law will mandate all branches of the government to disclose all documents as well as the procedures for accessing these documents. Transparency- all government agencies shall be mandated to proactively access or provide access to information of public concern, unless such is proven to fall within limited and strictly construed exceptions. Accountability- all government agencies shall be made to comply with uniform standards on the disclosure of public information. Furthermore, enactment of an FOI law will empower citizen participation in holding governments accountable to its people.; Additional information: Here are some developments in the FOI program: • On June 2016, House Bill 334 entitled “An Act to Ensure Public Access to Official Records, Documents and any other Information of Public Concern was filed in the House of Representatives for the 17th Congress. • On July 2016, President Duterte signed Executive Order No. 2 entitled “Operationalizing in the Executive Branch the People’s Constitutional Right to Information and the State Policies of Full Public Disclosure and Transparency in the Public Service and Providing Guidelines Therefor”. • On October 2016, the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media submitted Senate Bill 1208 or the People’s Freedom of Information Act which consolidates 14 bills filed by senators. It is now up for plenary debates in the Senate. • On November 25, 2016, 120 days after the publishing of EO No. 2, the PCOO, as directed by President Duterte, launched the FOI program and the eFOI portal (www.foi.gov.ph). • Memorandum Order No. 10 signed by the Executive Secretary mandates the PCOO as the lead implementing agency for the delivery of the EO No. 2. • The FOI Program under the Executive Branch is one of the commitments of PCOO in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 under Chapter 5: Ensuring People-Centered, Clean, and Efficient Governance, Sub-sector Outcome 4: Citizenry fullyengaged and empowered, with the following commitments: o Submission of FOI Manuals to the Office of the Executive Secretary o Onboarding of NGAs and GOCCs in the eFOI portal (www.foi.gov.ph) o Completion and publishing of Agency Information Inventory • Under the 2017 Performance-Based Bonus Guidelines, publishing of the FOI Manuals of agencies is now one of the requirements for eligibility for the said bonus.

Commitments

  1. Civil Society Participation to Improve LGU Service Delivery

    PH0042, 2017, Capacity Building

  2. Engage Communities in the Fight Against Corruption, Criminality and Illegal Drugs

    PH0043, 2017, Capacity Building

  3. Ease of Doing Business:Competitiveness

    PH0044, 2017, Legislation & Regulation

  4. Ease of Doing Business: Philippines’ Anti-Red Tape Challenge)

    PH0045, 2017, Capacity Building

  5. Citizen Participatory Audit)

    PH0046, 2017, Audits and Controls

  6. 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center

    PH0047, 2017, Public Participation

  7. Government Feedback Mechanism

    PH0048, 2017, Capacity Building

  8. Access to Information Legislation

    PH0049, 2017, Capacity Building

  9. e-Participation Through the National Government Portal

    PH0050, 2017, Citizenship and Immigration

  10. Open Budget Index and Budget Reform Bill

    PH0051, 2017, E-Government

  11. Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

    PH0052, 2017, Beneficial Ownership

  12. Institutional Mechanisms for Disaster Response

    PH0053, 2017, E-Government

  13. Shelter Development for Informal Settler Families

    PH0054, 2017, E-Government

  14. Open Local Legislative Processes

    PH0055, 2017, E-Government

  15. Law on ATI

    PH0029, 2015, Right to Information

  16. Transparency of Local Govs Plans and Budgets

    PH0030, 2015, Fiscal Transparency

  17. Open Data

    PH0031, 2015, Open Data

  18. Extractive Industries' Transparency

    PH0032, 2015, Extractive Industries

  19. CSO Engagement in Public Audit

    PH0033, 2015,

  20. Civic Enagement in Local Budget Planning

    PH0034, 2015, Participation in Budget Processes

  21. Civic Enagement in Local Budget Planning – Community Capacity-Building

    PH0035, 2015, Capacity Building

  22. Improving Public Service Delivery

    PH0036, 2015, Public Participation

  23. Improving Local Govs' Performance

    PH0037, 2015, Capacity Building

  24. Improve the Ease of Doing Business

    PH0038, 2015, Private Sector

  25. Local Government Competitiveness

    PH0039, 2015, Capacity Building

  26. Public and Private Sector Dialogue

    PH0040, 2015, Private Sector

  27. Improving Corporate Accountability

    PH0041, 2015, Private Sector

  28. Sustain Transparency in National Government Plans and Budgets

    PH0020, 2013, E-Government

  29. Support for the Passage of Legislations on Access to Information and Protection of Whistleblowers

    PH0021, 2013, Legislation & Regulation

  30. Engage Civil Society in Public Audit

    PH0022, 2013, Public Participation

  31. Enhance Performance Benchmarks for Local Governance

    PH0023, 2013, Capacity Building

  32. Enhance the Government Procurement System

    PH0024, 2013, E-Government

  33. Strengthen Grassroots Participation in Local Planning and Budgeting

    PH0025, 2013, Participation in Budget Processes

  34. Provide More Accessible Government Data in a Single Portal and Open Format

    PH0026, 2013, E-Government

  35. Starred commitment Initiate Fiscal Transparency in the Extractive Industry

    PH0027, 2013, Extractive Industries

  36. Starred commitment Improve the Ease of Doing Business

    PH0028, 2013, Private Sector

  37. Disclose Executive Budgets

    PH0001, 2011, Fiscal Transparency

  38. Access to Information Initiative

    PH0002, 2011, Right to Information

  39. Broader CSO Engagement

    PH0003, 2011, OGP

  40. Participatory Budget Roadmap

    PH0004, 2011, Participation in Budget Processes

  41. Local Poverty Reduction

    PH0005, 2011, Subnational

  42. Empowerment Fund

    PH0006, 2011, Capacity Building

  43. Social Audit

    PH0007, 2011, Public Participation

  44. Results-Based Performance

    PH0008, 2011, Capacity Building

  45. Performance-Based Budgeting

    PH0009, 2011, Capacity Building

  46. Citizen’S Charters

    PH0010, 2011, Capacity Building

  47. Internal Audit

    PH0011, 2011, Audits and Controls

  48. Single Portal for Information

    PH0012, 2011, E-Government

  49. Integrated Financial Management System

    PH0013, 2011, E-Government

  50. Electronic Bidding

    PH0014, 2011, E-Government

  51. Procurement Cards

    PH0015, 2011, Open Contracting and Procurement

  52. Manpower Information System

    PH0016, 2011, E-Government

  53. Expand the National Household Targeting System (NHTS)

    PH0017, 2011, Public Participation

  54. e-TAILS

    PH0018, 2011, E-Government

  55. Budget Ng Bayan

    PH0019, 2011, Fiscal Transparency