December 13, 2019
MANILA – The National Economic and Development Authority was awarded on Thursday as one of the top requested and performing agencies in the eFOI portal (www.foi.gov.ph) and was recognized for its exceptional contribution to the development and progress of the Freedom of Information (FOI).
Pursuant to FOI Memorandum Circular No. 3, s. 2019, the 2019 FOI Awards was established to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of government agencies, individuals, and organizations in the pursuit of ensuring the constitutional mandate of the right to information. The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) spearheads the FOI Awards.
“In the performance of its mandate as the country’s premier socioeconomic planning and policy coordinating body, NEDA finds it imperative to provide complete, timely, transparent, consistent, and credible documents to the public,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.
Since 2016, NEDA remains committed to its advocacy for an informed citizenry.
The implementation of the FOI program is an integral part in ensuring a people-centered, clean, and efficient government as embodied in Chapter 5 of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022. The PDP highlights the need to provide enabling mechanisms to improve society’s access to public service.
“The FOI program is an important and efficient government strategy of engaging and empowering its citizens – an approach that is vital in maintaining a high-trust society. Through the FOI, the government upholds every citizen’s constitutional right to have access to relevant information pertaining to various government operations and transactions benefitting them,” the Cabinet official said.
The FOI Awards Screening Committee – composed of a representative from 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 Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) representing the non-governmental organizations – conducted the process of evaluation and deliberation of the awardees.
Undersecretary for Corporate Affairs Jose Miguel R. de la Rosa received the plaque of recognition on behalf of the agency during its awarding ceremony held in Makati City.
On July 2016, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Executive Order No. 2, s. 2016 to operationalize the people’s constitutional right to information and the state policies to full public disclosure and transparency in the public service.
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