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.

Pilar Avello

Ms. Pilar Avello is a Programme Manager and one of SIWI’s experts on democratic governance and accountability in the water sector. She has more than nine years of experience working in with government agencies and civil society organizations in Latin America, Africa and Europe to strengthen and promote integrity in public administration by putting in practice transparency, accountability, participation and anti-corruption’s policies, regulations and mechanisms. Currently, Pilar is leading Water integrity and Accountability projects in different parts of the world.

Hasaan Khawar

Hasaan Khawar is an international development and public policy professional. He is a former civil servant belonging to Pakistan Administrative Service and has also worked with two Fortune 500 corporations. With diverse professional experience in a mix of public and private sectors including B2B, B2G and G2G settings, he has project experience in Pakistan, USA, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Christopher Rollo

Mr. Christopher Rollo assumed his post as the Country Programme Manager of UN-Habitat in the Philippines in January 2012, after serving as UN-Habitat Knowledge Manager from 2007. Before joining UN-Habitat, he was the Chairman of the National Committee on Visual Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (2001-2007) and Deputy Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (2004-2006).