Atty.

KRISTIAN ALBAN, Assistant Secretary, Presidential Communications Operations

Office (PCOO) gave an orientation about the Freedom of Information (FOI). The
activity was attended by DIRECTORS, ASST. DIRECTORS, TECH STAFF, ASSISTANT
SECRETARIES & UNDERSECRETARIES of the Department of Agrarian Reform.
Executive Order No. 2 Series of 2016 Freedom of Information (FOI) sets a
framework of parameters for accessing information in government agencies. Each
government office is tasked to prepare a Peoples Manual on FOI after 120 days
from the effectivity of EO No. 2.
PCOO will be rolling out the FOI this coming Friday. Asec Alban quipped that other
countries needed at least 8 months to roll out FOI while they were only given 4
months to roll out the FOI. They will also unveil the e-FOI platform along with the
nationwide implementation of the FOI this Friday, 25-Nov 2016.
Under the said EO, information requested by a party will be made available after 15
working days (with a 20-day extendible period).
Also, the Requested information can be denied due to several exceptions. The list of
exceptions is currently being finalized by the office of the executive secretary. No
request for information shall be denied unless it clearly falls under any of the
exceptions listed in the inventory or updated inventory of exceptions circularized by
the Office of the President
The office of Usec Sylvia Mallari took charge of crafting the FOI agency manual.