Manila: Participants at a global forum held in Manila on Tuesday urged governments to enact right to information laws that would facilitate public access to information, particularly concerning governance and environmental issues. The initiative aims to bolster transparency and institutionalize citizens' right to know in the digital era.
According to Philippines News Agency, the closing of the 2025 International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) saw the Philippines, as the first Southeast Asian host of the event, advocate for stronger laws on information access. The forum's statement encouraged member states to broadly define environmental information and establish centralized, publicly accessible data repositories. They also called for clear dissemination frameworks with defined legal timelines and procedures.
Furthermore, the forum urged governments to legislate for proactive publication of environmental threats, ensuring that access denial is strictly limited to reasons under international human rights law and subject to proportionality and necessity.
On Monday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Acting Secretary Dave Gomez inaugurated the event by urging Philippine lawmakers to enact a Freedom of Information (FOI) Law aligned with global standards to empower democracy. He emphasized the importance of an informed citizenry in building a democratic nation, highlighting the Marcos administration's vision of a government that collaborates with its people under "Bagong Pilipinas" or New Philippines.
International participants stressed the promotion of access to environmental information, particularly for communities at risk due to transboundary or high-risk activities, in alignment with international principles like Principle 19 of the Rio Declaration. They advocated for advance notice, risk disclosure, and mandatory public participation in environmental and social impact assessments for major projects.
The Manila forum also called for the acceleration of access to information (ATI) legislation adoption in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and for over 50 countries still lacking such laws. The forum emphasized the need for global monitoring of progress, with the UN system reporting annually on access to environmental information.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Kris Ablan showcased the Philippines' efforts to make government information inclusive, such as the rollout of free internet to remote barangays and digital library kiosks providing offline access to government data. Ablan noted the availability of an FOI website for public information requests and highlighted ongoing projects to expand internet and kiosk access across the country.
Philippine Climate Change Commission (CCC) Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje discussed the country's upgraded climate data portals, emphasizing the importance of transforming data into actionable information for communities and decision-makers. He underscored the need for robust systems and a culture of openness and accountability to advance transparency and governance in climate change initiatives.