Know more about Freedom of Information through these infographics from our partner organizations, Team Communication (TeamComm) and Political Science Society (POLISCY) of De La Salle University - Manila.
29 November 2014
28 November 2014
Statement of the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI) on the November 24 committee approval of the People's FOI Act
"Young people are the greatest stakeholders of Freedom of Information. The youth, empowered by FOI, will be the most effective changemakers in our country. This is why I call on them to continue to strengthen their efforts to campaign for the passage of the People's FOI Act."
This was what Rep. Teddy Baguilat (Lone District, Ifugao) told the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI) after the House Committee on Public Information hearing last November 24, 2014 when the measure was approved.
We welcome this development in our struggle to pass the People's FOI Act into law. Likewise, we thank our FOI champions and authors in the House led by Representatives Baguilat, Kaka Bag-ao (Lone District, Dinagat Islands), Leni Robredo (3rd District, Camarines Sur), Emmeline Aglipay-Villar (DIWA Party-List), Dina Abad (Lone District, Batanes), Leah Paquiz (ANG NARS Party-List), and Barry Gutierrez and Walden Bello (Akbayan Party-List) for consistently defending and upholding the people's right to information. We also express our gratitude to the Committee Chairperson, Rep. Jorge Almonte (1st District, Misamis Occidental), and the members who voted in favor of the People's FOI Act, a product of a long series of debates and discussions at the Techinical Working Group.
We in the FYI reiterate our support for the People's FOI Act, a consolidation of 24 proposals, including the bill that we filed under the Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition through a petition for indirect initiative, as mandated by Republic Act No. 6735 or the Initiative and Referendum Act.
As sponsors of the People's FOI Act (Petition No. 0001) who have always been present in all committee meetings, we attest to the integrity of the process that the measure went through. Moreover, we affirm that this version of the FOI bill is the best one yet. We concur with the Coalition and our House champions in saying that "[t]he TWG FOI Bill is not a weak bill. It is a genuine and strong FOI bill that fully protects the people's right to information while carefully balancing it with legitimate interests of individuals, the state, and the bureaucracy." Arguments to the contrary have been fully addressed and answered not just in the TWG meetings, but also in the final hours before the measure was finally approved by an overwhelming majority in the Committee on Public Information hearing.
We ask the public, especially our peers among the youth, to be critical and constructive. We request everyone to read the People's FOI Act itself, and not mere press releases that seek to cast doubt and undermine the efforts of advocates within and beyond Congress.
We call on the members of the House, especially its leaders, to fulfill their constitutional mandate to "give highest priority to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right of all the people to human dignity, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities, and remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing wealth and political power for the common good." This clearly includes the passage of the People's FOI Act.
The FYI will continue to be vigilant in watching over the progress of the bill in the House of Representatives. It is within our power as active citizens to expose unnecessary delays that would clearly attempt to derail the approval of the measure. At this juncture, in light of the various government scandals that have arisen, there is no more room for excuses. Now is the time for decisive and steadfast action. Now is the time for the People's Freedom of Information.
__________________________
Consolidated People's FOI Act approved by the House Committee on Public Information last 24 November 2014: http://bit.ly/1zZSCFw
How Representatives voted in the November 24 committee hearing: http://youth4foi.blogspot.com/2014/11/BantayBatasanCommitteeVOTES.html
Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition and FOI champions' response to the position of the Makabayan Bloc: http://bit.ly/1rC9wot
25 November 2014
"Kamatuodan sa FOI (Truth in FOI)" - LAWÔD [UP Diliman, Bicol University, and Silliman University]
[MASBATENYO TRANSLATION]
Kamatuodan sa FOI
Kami an LAWÔD – usad na grupo san mga organisasyon san mga Masbatenyo na nagaadal yana sa University of the Philippines Diliman sa Quezon City, sa Bicol University sa Legazpi City, Albay kag sa Silliman University sa Dumaguete City. Tanan kami nagapanamgo – an pag-uswag san Probinsya san Masbate.
Sadto pa man, nakita na namon kun pano nagtangis kag nagpakalisod an mga Masbatenyo para sa kaayuhan san Masbate. Kada tulo ka tuig, pirmi na lang namon kinabutang sa posisyon an mga liderato na dapat unta sinda an nagapadayon san kauswagan san amon probinsya. Guinhatagan namon sinda san amon tiwala. Guinhatagan namon sinda san boses. Guinhatagan namon sinda san awtoridad. Pero nano an nangyari? Nabubuhay kami na bagan waran nagbag-o. Dili pa gayud namon batyag an pag-uswag.
Oo, damo nan pagbabag-o. May mga bag-o na aktibidades, mga bag-o na kamino, mga bag-o na waiting shed, mga bag-o na basketball court, mga bag-o na classroom, kag mga bag-o na conference halls. Sabiha lang. Bagan kadamo man gayud san bag-o. Pero nano kay kun kitaon gayud san maayo ini na mga proyekto, bagan mas mahal pa sinda sa matuod ninda na presyo? Nano kay kun igwa pa san guinapangayo na mga dokumento sani na mga proyekto, wara man lang sinda san maihatag na maski dyutay na report? Kag an mas mabug-at pa, nano kay kun may igwa san guinapangayo na maski nano na record, an amon gobyerno kay kadugay-dugay maghatag san aksyon? Kag may mga oras pa na wara gayud ninda pakiarami?
Dugay na kami nagaparahunga, pero ada lang guihapon ini na mga hunga – wara guinpakiarama kag wara guinhatagan san sabat. An pirmi lang namon nababaton sa inda kay mga waran klaro na palusot kag mga buwa. Sobra-sobra na. An amon probinsya kay sobra-sobra na an guin-agihan. Tama na.
Pero syempre, ini na amon panawagan kay dili lang para sa amon probinsya. Kay kami estudyante na hali sa paiba-iba na eskwelahan, nakita man namon kun pano an iba na parte san aton bansa an nakadanas man san pareho kaibahan na mga pangyayari. Kag kami, habo man namon na madanasan ini utro sa maabot na panahon.
Nagatuod kami na igwa pa san pag-asa.
Sani na ika-24 san Nobyembre, 2014, sa pagdeliberate san Committee on Public Information san House of Representatives san consolidated Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, kinapakusog pa namon an amon panawagan para sa transparency kag accountability sa goberyno. Guinapanawagan namon an aton mga kongresista kag senador na iudong na an pagapadugay san mga karapatan na dapat guinatamasa na san mga Pilipino sadto pa – an karapatan naton sa freedom of information. Guinapangayo man namon an pansin san mga kongresista na hali sa amon probinsya – sinda Marvi E. Bravo san una na distrito, Elisa “Olga” T. Kho san ikaduwa na distrito, kag Scott Davies S. Lanete san ikatulo na distrito, na suportahan man unta ninda ini na amon panawagan.
Gusto namon an kamatuodan.
Siyak namon tanan, FOI now!
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