CLARK FREEPORT– The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has verified and certified Clark Development Corporation’s (CDC) full compliance with the enhanced Freedom of Information (FOI) requirements.
PCOO validated and recognized the compliance of the state-owned firm to the Executive Order No.2, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte. CDC also met the requirements of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Harmonization of National Government Performance Monitoring, Information, and Reporting System on the FOI program, as specified in Section 5.7b of the Joint Memo Circular No.2020-1.
CDC’s FOI full compliance was achieved through the initiative and directive of CDC President and CEO Manuel R. Gaerlan. This accomplishment was also made possible through the joint efforts of the CDC Management, the CDC FOI Committee, and various divisions such as the CDC-Records Management Division and the CDC-Information Technology Department (ITD).
External Affairs Department (EAD) Assistant Vice President Rommel Narciso, who also serves as the CDC-FOI Committee Chairman, shared the importance of fulfilling the FOI requirements.
“Compliance with FOI is important because it strengthens the right to information as enshrined by the constitution. FOI allows Filipino citizens to request any information about government transactions and operations, provided that it shall not put into jeopardy privacy and matters of national security,” he said.
Narciso further stated that, under Gaerlan’s direction, the state-owned corporation obtained FOI accreditation, which reinforces the promotion of transparency in all CDC’s operations and services.
“CDC exerts its best effort to provide access to information and official documents, while at the same time ensuring that the right to privacy and legitimate interests of the government, the company, its stakeholders, locators, clients, and employees are all protected,” Narciso added.
To attain the FOI verification and certification, CDC prepared and submitted the following: Updated People’s Freedom of Information Manual, FOI Reports comprise of Agency Information Inventory and FOI Registry and summary, Agency’s website home page containing a visible and functional FOI logo linked to the electronic FOI portal, and modified one-page FOI manual with an email address under the name of the agency where clients can send their request.
The FOI program is enforced in all government agencies and public institutions based on the constitutional right to information as stated in Section 28, Article II of the 1987 Constitution on the “state policy to full public disclosure of all its transactions,” with the exception of sensitive information and matters affecting national security.