Freedom of information measure gains ground

Local

ACCESS to information will be made easier through a Freedom of Information (FOI) ordinance being tackled at the Cebu Provincial Board.

The body has approved the measure on first reading, sending it to the committee level for further review and discussion.

The proposed ordinance seeks to standardize the process of requesting government records across provincial offices, with the aim of improving efficiency and public access to data.

While still under legislative review, the provincial government has already started preparing for its rollout through training sessions and systems development.

The Provincial Information Office (PIO) has been leading these preparations, recently conducting a virtual training attended by Capitol personnel, FOI focal persons from local government units, and representatives from state universities and government-owned corporations.

PIO Head Ainjieliz Dela Torre-Orong said the system is designed to make information release more organized.

“Mas systematic ang pag-release information. Basically nag-practice na ang transparency diri sa province, but ang system ang naka nindot gyud sa FOI,” she said.

She added that the mechanism is meant to help the public easily request information for different purposes, including academic and historical use.

“Naa siyay system for the people on how to ask information sa province. So any information that they would need, regardless if it’s for academic purposes or historical information, they can ask from the province,” she added.

Under the proposal, each provincial department will assign an FOI receiving officer tasked to process and coordinate requests, which is expected to speed up internal handling of data.

The Capitol also plans to open both online and walk-in options for submitting requests.

“Pwede sila mo ask online, pero mag-set up sad ta ug receiving office here sa desk sa Capitol para sa dili kaayo techy,” Dela Torre-Orong explained.

Requests will be forwarded to the appropriate offices, with release timelines depending on the complexity of the information sought.

“There’s a certain amount of days na ma-release ang information. Lahi-lahi man gyud na based on the complexity of information,” she said.

Officials clarified that the system will observe existing legal exemptions, particularly on sensitive records.

“Under sa FOI naa gyud tay exemptions. For example, dili pwede ma-release ang certain information like hospital records or names of patients,” she noted.

Despite the limits, the initiative is being positioned as a step toward improving transparency and strengthening public trust in government data.

Dela Torre-Orong also said it can help address misinformation by improving access to verified information.

“This is also our way of fighting misinformation. When people are not equipped with the right information, that’s when they share fake news,” she said.

As the ordinance advances toward second reading, further consultations are expected with concerned agencies as part of refining the proposed system.

“FOI is really the right of the people to get information from the government,” Dela Torre-Orong emphasized.(MyTVCebu)