The Procurement Service - Department of Budget and Management, through its Freedom of Information (FOI) Officer, took part in the assembly of access to information leaders, experts, influencers, and practitioners during the FOI Summit 2023 organized by the Presidential Communications Office’s (PCO) FOI-Program Management Office (FOI-PMO) on November 20, 2023 in Pasay City.
Tagged as the largest national gathering of FOI advocates who champion accountability in the Philippine government, the event bannered the theme, “Transforming Transparency: Digitalizing Access to Information, Embracing Glocalization, and Sustaining a Culture of Openness.” Through in-depth discussions and panel sessions, the pivotal role of digitalization and other technological advancements in the progressive implementation of people’s Right to Information was highlighted.
The Summit likewise served as an avenue for participants to exchange ideas and best practices to potentially collaborate on localized projects that promote accountability, transparency, and good governance, consequently enhancing their own advocacy efforts. Other featured topics included artificial intelligence, data science, and participatory governance — discussed in the context of revolutionizing the access to information landscape to make an impact on society.
Prior to the FOI Summit 2023, the PCO’s FOI-PMO also facilitated a three-day FOI Bootcamp in Cebu City, from October 3 to 5, 2023, for FOI officers of several government agencies, including PS-DBM. Through capacity-building training and practical workshops aimed at equipping FOI frontliners to carry out FOI implementation in their respective agencies, participants zeroed in on the essential elements of the information disclosure system and process of the FOI program, among other discourses.
PS-DBM’s active participation in FOI engagements is a testament that it recognizes and upholds the fundamental right of the Filipino people to access information, as it envisions itself to becoming the preferred procurement partner of the Philippine public sector.