DFA Bags Freedom of Information Champion 2021 2nd Runner Up Award
(Seated): Assistant Secretary Eduardo Martin R. Meñez, Executive Director Marie Yvette L. Banzon-Abalos. (Standing from left): FOI Assistant Liezl Angelique G. Diloy, Director Ralph Vincent C. Abarquez, DFA-FOI Program Implementation Focal Person Alec Chrisanti A. Arenas, FOI Assistant Allea Marione M. Manapsal. Photo courtesy of Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO).
CEBU CITY, 25 November 2021- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was conferred the prestigious FOI Champion 2nd Runner-up Award in the National Government Agency Category by PCOO Undersecretary and FOI Program Director Kristian R. Ablan for its full implementation of the government’s Freedom of Information (FOI) campaign at the 5th Edition of the FOI Awards spearheaded by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on 25 November 2021 at Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu.
The annual FOI Awards is a national recognition conferred by the Freedom of Information – Project Management Office to individuals, organizations, and agencies who have made an exceptional contribution and development in the field of access to information in the Philippines amidst the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
In its fifth year, the FOI Awards highlights our shared successes in achieving our long-term goals of Accountability, Transparency, Good Governance, and Citizen Participation.
OPCD Assistant Secretary Eduardo Martin R. Meñez thanked Undersecretary Ablan for the award, noting that “The Department is fully supportive of PCOO’s drive for timely and accurate information for the public, and will continue to implement its FOI program within its capabilities”.
Since its inception in 2016, the DFA-OPCD-FOI Unit has maintained a 100% compliance rating for the implementation of the government’s Freedom of Information Program. In 2019 and 2020, the Department bagged prestigious awards in recognition as one of the Top Performing Government Agencies. The FOI Champion Award is the highest recognition in the FOI Program merit system. This is a testament to the DFA’s strong commitment to providing Filipinos their right to access information on matters of public concern, particularly on foreign policy issues and OFW-related and consular concerns.
The process of evaluation and deliberation were conducted by the FOI Awards Screening Committee, with the Office of the Executive Secretary as the Chairperson, the Philippine Librarians Association Inc. (PLAI) representing the academe, the National Press Club (NPC) representing media organizations, and the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) representing the non-governmental organizations, as members.
The FOI program is being implemented under the Executive Order (EO) No. 2 series of 2016, which operationalizes in the Executive branch the people’s right to information and to do full public disclosure and transparency in the public service. Members of the public who wish to make an FOI request can do so through the FOI portal at foi.gov.ph END