The Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), chaired by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, conducted a series of roundtable discussions with various stakeholders to advance the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill in the 20th Congress.
The PH-OGP engaged with National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at the DBM Central Office on April 14 and April 22, respectively. It also consulted the academe sector at the De La Salle University on April 24 and the private sector and business groups at the Makati Business Club on May 6.
In her prerecorded message, Secretary Pangandaman underscored the importance of convening partners, transparency advocates, and FOI champions to fulfill one of the country’s priority commitments under the 6th PH-OGP National Action Plan (NAP): “We are holding this series of consultations to chart the next steps in ensuring that the FOI Bill—one that is truly co-created with stakeholders for the people—will be considered a legislative priority.”
This initiative is a fitting follow-through to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s pronouncement at the 2025 OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting last February where he highlighted that citizen participation in governance requires access to information, made possible by the “institutionalization of FOI through legislation.”
“Here at PH-OGP, we don’t make empty promises. We march on and take action to fulfill our commitments, especially because we have the support of no less than our President,” the Budget and Management Chief concluded.
FOI Initiatives
The Presidential Communications Office FOI Project Management Office (PCO FOI-PMO) discussed its initiatives to uphold citizens’ right to information through the standard FOI process (paper-based) or the eFOI portal (online). As of date, 156,691 standard paper-based requests and 245,778 eFOI requests have been filed.
The PCO capacitates FOI implementers within the government through an Online Consultation System, FOI Bootcamp, and a Certificate Course for Information Officers, equipping them with the essential skills to carry out the current FOI policies. They also empower the general public through programs such as Training of Trainers, Transparency Roadshow, and FOI Campus Caravan, among others.
While a national FOI law has yet to be enacted, the PCO FOI-PMO noted that 88 Local Government Units have proactively passed their own FOI ordinances, demonstrating the increasing commitment to transparency and access to information at the local level.
FOI Bill in the 20th Congress
Ahead of the May 2025 elections, PH-OGP Acting Director, Atty. Jose Miguel B. Solis, presented the draft of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill to be proposed in the 20th Congress.
Some of its key features include: (a) comprehensive scope, covering all branches and all levels of government; (b) mandatory disclosure of budgetary information; (c) varied period of compliance depending on the complexity of the information requested; (d) internal review mechanism and; (e) integration in education.
Strategies and Ways Forward
Representatives from government, civil society, academe, and the private sector shared their insights and unique perspectives for improving the FOI Bill’s salient provisions. The discussions focused on several critical areas, including the bill's scope and coverage, request processing timelines, FOI officers’ responsibilities, exemptions, limitations, appeals, oversight mechanisms, and sanctions.
The DBM and PCO will incorporate the results from the roundtables to strengthen the draft FOI Bill, which will be presented at the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on May 26, 2025.
During the sessions, Country & Local Programs Chief Shreya Basu and DBM Undersecretary Wilford Will L. Wong also delivered messages of support for the initiative, affirming the Partnership’s commitment to leveraging the open governance platform to advocate for the passage of the FOI law. This includes strengthening collaborations with the PCO FOI-PMO and engaging with policymakers to prioritize the FOI Bill in the 20th Congress.
END
