CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- Olongapo City in Zambales and Bataan province hosted the recent Transparency Roadshow of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Program Management Office (PMO) of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
The Transparency Roadshow aims to inform and engage communities and organizations on the transparency initiatives of the government.
The program emphasizes that the right to information is one of the constitutional rights enshrined in the 1987 constitution.
It also underscores that access to information is a cornerstone in a democracy, empowering individuals to participate actively in the governance of the nation.
The roadshow is a vital tool for citizens to hold their government accountable and ensure transparency and accountability in public affairs.
The roadshow leg in Olongapo City is the first in Central Luzon.
It was attended by 180 officials and employees of the city government, representatives of the barangays and civil society organizations, and members of the media.
During the roadshow, the FOI-PMO discussed Executive Order No. 2, a series of 2016 otherwise known as the implementation of the FOI Program and its localization.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shared its GIS web app as well as other programs relative to transparency.
The Department of Health Career Development and Management also presented an overview of its National Health Workforce Support System, which ensures that health workers have access to quality health services particularly those in the countryside.
In Balanga City in Bataan province, the second leg of the Transparency Roadshow and Campus Caravan was participated in by 204 provincial government officials and employees, barangay officials, and representatives from national government agencies and 193 faculty and students from Bataan Peninsula State University.
The PCO said that localization of the FOI mechanism is the focus of the campaign this year.
It connects citizens and the government, especially at the grassroots level, by providing a whole-of-government approach to institutionalize transparency and accountability.
The Transparency Roadshow is part of the Marcos administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which emphasizes the need to strengthen the localization of the FOI program.