For Your Information: What You Can Do to Support FOI

We can do several things to contribute to the campaign for Freedom of Information. Here are only some of them:

• Before anything else, read the FOI Bill. Going through it is a breeze. It may be 15 pages long, but we’re pretty sure you’ll get what it’s all about easily: http://youth4foi.blogspot.com/p/the-foi-bill.html.

• Find out who your District Representative is and write to him or her to support the FOI Bill. The more letters you and your friends send, the more chances of ensuring that your legislator will fulfill his or her role to represent your interests. You can find their contact information here: http://bit.ly/QCpgsI.

• Don’t forget the Party-List Representatives. They have equal powers and responsibilities as District Representatives in committee meetings and plenary sessions. Write to them as well: http://bit.ly/RscmNk.

• You don’t have to be geographically limited in choosing which Representative to write to. If you’re students, it would also be helpful if you write to your schools alumni in Congress. Many of them were actually student leaders back in the day, so why don’t you use that to your advantage to further a cause that you student leaders of today believe in.

• Write to the members and officers of the Committee on Public Information of the House of Representatives: http://bit.ly/SWBrNp.

• Let’s not leave out the Senate. Even if their FOI Bill (which they call the POGI Bill) is moving faster that its House counterpart, it would also be beneficial if we write to our Senators: http://bit.ly/UALusQ.

• At the local level, you can tap officials in your city or municipality to pass a resolution supporting the FOI proposal in Congress. It may not have the force of law, but a resolution of support from your locality would be a big contribution to the people’s clamor for transparency. Just make sure the adopted resolution gets to our legislators in the House and Senate.

• Get media attention through activities that call for the passage of the FOI Bill. These activities should be creative, innovative, and of course, within the bounds of the law. You can hold a forum, a press conference, a mobilization, etc. Contact your local media organizations beforehand  so they will be ready to cover your event.

• Educate our fellow young people by holding discussions on the FOI Bill. This is a great way to recruit them to our campaign for accountability and transparency in government. Remember, just like with FOI, information is empowerment.

• Take social media by storm. Post, share, blog, and tweet about FOI. For Twitter, use the hashtag #FOInow. You can also retweet us at https://twitter.com/Youth4FOI.

• Since you’re already online, tweet our legislators to support the bill. A lot of them actually have Twitter accounts: http://bit.ly/Scuu0e.

• Sign the petition at http://ifoi.ph/support/.

• Get a PicBadge at http://bit.ly/P3RBsR.

• You can also show your support through SMS! Text ‘I support FOI <space> NAME <space> AGE <space> CITY/MUNICIPALITY’ and send to 0919FOI5501 (09193645501).

• Have your organization write a statement of support for FOI. We’d be glad to forward this to our legislators. Email us at Youth4FOI@gmail.com.

• Your organization can also be one of the signatories of our manifesto: http://youth4foi.blogspot.com/p/our-manifesto.html.Send us a message through our Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Youth4FOI] or email us to express your intent to sign so we can add your organization immediately.

• Join us in attending hearings at the House of Representatives and the Senate. Watch out for updates in our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Youth4FOI.

Marami pang maaaring gawin para maisulong ang ating panawagan na mapasa ang FOI bilang batas. Kabataan, magbuklod tayo para sa isang pamahalaang bukas at may pananagutan! 

UP KAPPP: FOI tungo sa Isang Makatotohanan, Makabuluhan, at Makabayang Pamahalaan!

UP Kalipunan para sa Agham Panlipunan at Pilosopiyang Pilipino (UP KAPPP) 

is a partner organization of the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI).

UP POLITICA: Uphold the People's Right to Know!

UP People-Oriented Leadership in the Interest of Community 

Awareness (POLITICA) is a partner organization of the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI).

UPD CSSP Student Council: Informed and Empowered

"The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law."

Article III (Bill of Rights), Section 7

1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines

Today, September 28, marks the International Right to Know Day. With the same goal as the Freedom of Information Bill, this event highlights the right of citizens to access to information from public offices. Ultimately, this paves the way towards a more transparent and accountable government. 

President Benigno Aquino III promised right after his electoral victory to prioritize the FOI Bill. However, it is disappointing to know that up to now, a semblance of a scheduled committee hearing in October has been the only progress for this piece of legislation. 

We, the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Student Council, emphasize the urgent need for the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill. We call on our legislators to fulfill their promise of a committee hearing this October. It is about time that we prioritize this because aside from being an anti-corruption tool, the FOI Bill also provides an avenue for participatory governance. This will result to the creation of an atmosphere of openness and honesty in a government whose power emanates from the Filipino people.

With the FOI Law, we will gain access to information that will empower us as citizens. With the FOI Law, we can become citizens who are actively involved in catalyzing change in society.

CSSP, tuloy tayo sa laban para sa isang pamahalaang bukas at may pananagutan!

Tuloy tayo sa pagsasabatas ng FOI Bill!

The CSSP Student Council of the University of the Philippines - Diliman is the convenor of the FOI Youth Initiative. To know more about the FYI, click the link: https://www.facebook.com/Youth4FOI 

The FOI Youth Initiative (FYI) is a network of youth and student organizations that are committed in being involved in the campaign for the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill in Congress. FYI is part of the Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition.

FYI: One with the World on the International Right to Know Day 2012

The FOI Youth Initiative's social media campaign has been included in the map of worldwide events in celebration of the International Right to Know Day 2012 at the Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet) website. FOIAnet is an international information-sharing network working to promote the right of access to information. Help us share our message calling for the passage of the FOI Law in the Philippines! #FOInow!

BUKLOD CSSP: September 28 is International Right to Know Day. Pass the FOI Bill!

A strong democracy is built on an informed electorate. In keeping with the spirit of International Right to Know Day, we in BUKLOD CSSP remain steadfast in our call for the immediate passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill.

For the last fourteen years, our leaders have failed to pass into law the FOI Bill - an essential piece of legislation that will allow public access to documents that are crucial in ensuring the transparency and accountability of our leaders. These documents include public officials’ SALNs, and the details of how legislators spend their pork barrels. We remain deprived of the tools to assess our government’s actions and make well-informed electoral decisions. This hindrance to information is a hindrance to democracy. Such deprivation is an affront to our right to know, and we refuse to remain in the dark.

We in BUKLOD CSSP call on our administration, especially the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information Ben Evardone, whose inaction has resulted in a delay in the legislative process, and President Aquino whose promise to fight corruption is hinged on this piece of legislation, to delay no more. Pass the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL!

ISKOLAR PARA SA BAYAN, MAY KARAPATAN KANG MAKAALAM AT MAKIALAM!

ANG FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL ANG ASPALTO SA DAANG MATUWID. IPASA NA ANG FOI BILL!

BUKLOD CSSP is a partner organization of the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI).

UP ETC: We support the FOI Bill!

UP Economics Towards Consciousness (UP ETC) favors the passage of Lorenzo Tañada’s version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill. We believe that this bill would improve transparency and responsibility in the government and provide easier access to data for academic research.

The FOI Bill holds government officials responsible and accountable and empowers its citizens. In a participative democracy, the responsibility to monitor the performance of public officials rests on the citizens. Hence, greater transparency fosters a healthy democracy. The FOI Bill, imposes criminal liabilities to any agency that withholds access of information from the public. We strongly believe that this law would help eradicate corruption. It would also lessen the cost of acquiring information, motivating the citizens to be vigilant and participative

This bill would also empower the academe. Access to knowledge and information would greatly benefit students, professionals and researchers with their academic endeavors. This more accessible information could help improve the state of the public sector, in the provision of government services and, even the private sector

Along with the freedom of access to information, there is a need for a provision that will hold users of information responsible for any misinterpretation or falsification of public information which may cause public confusion. The system of record-keeping must also be improved and well-designed to prevent the loss or misplacement of important documents.

UP ETC is firm in its stand to support the passage of Tañada’s Freedom of Information Bill to improve transparency and to reduce the costs of accessing information.

UP Economics Towards Consciousness (UP ETC) is a 

partner organization of the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI).

Pahayag ng UP ALYANSA para sa International Right to Know Day

Malinaw na naninindigan ang UP ALYANSA sa agarang pagpasa ng Freedom of Information Bill. Karapatan natin magkaroon ng gobyernong responsable sa pamamahala, sa pamamagitan ng pagsasaalang-alang ng ating karapatan sa mahahalagang impormasyon. Ipasa ang FOI! Ngayon na!

Iskolar para sa Bayan, kasama ka sa panawagang ipasa na ang Freedom of Information Bill! 

Nakikiisa ang UP ALYANSA sa pagdiriwang ngayong araw ng International Right to Know Day.

UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang 

Katwiran at Kaunlaran (ALYANSA) is a partner organization 

of the FOI Youth Initiative (FYI).