The Freedom of Information Program One Year On

In the one year that the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has been the lead agency in implementing Executive Order No. 2 in the Philippines, it has managed to set some of the groundwork required in execution of the freedom of information (FOI) program. The online tools, exceptions, and manuals that were created provided the initial framework needed for adoption and implementation within agencies, which also led to the creation of incentive schemes such as performance-based bonus for having the FOI Manual in the agency’s transparency seal. Moving forward, the PCOO seeks to review lessons learned in their first year, update and improve their processes, and deepen their engagements with stakeholders.